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!

Quilt by Pamela Allen in TCQC 11-28-10

Here is another quilt I purchased at the Alliance For American Quilts online auction earlier this month. A big contrast to the quilt I posted last Sunday. When I started collecting the term "Art Quilt", if it existed, was not in common use - thus the "Contemporary" in TCQC. I think of the word as encompassing quilts made in the last quarter of the 20th C and the first quarter of the 21st C. They are, in other words, contemporary to me.

"Can't Piece Geese. Can Do A Loose Goose." Pamela Allen 2010 16" x 16"
Recycled and commercial fabric. Raw edge, hand applique.
Pamela had this to say about this quilt: "I confess I was stumped at this year’s theme as I know almost nothing about traditional quilting and certainly have no fragments from early patterns. I hardly know the names of patterns! However, I DID know the flying geese one which requires piecing triangles . . . thus my title as I couldn’t piece anything to save my life! I have adapted a goose from Inuit imagery that I admire for its quirky shape and humorous distortions."

And I admired the quirkiness also and bid on the quilt.

Pamela uses a lot of recycled/preused/reused fabric and has a great eye for putting the fabrics together. She uses a collage technique rather than piecing and doesn't pre-plan her designs.

She does a great deal of hand stitching using embroidery thread, perle cotton or whatever she feels will work best to stitch the applique pieces to the background.

She has developed a great talent for machine quilting

The plain back shows the quilting very well.

The label Pamela applied.

The label the Alliance applied.

I admire Pamela's work and there are now four of her quilts in the TCQC. Since I carry quilts around to show at different venues I must avoid quilts that have heavy or thick embellishments, or I would have more Pamela quilts. I took a class with her in winter 2008 at Empty Spools at Asilomar and found she is an excellent teacher. I may never make a "Pamela Allen" type quilt, but the lessons I learned have become a part of my library of techniques which will serve me well as long as I can make quilts. I recommend her classes and her teaching skills.
http://pamelart2.homestead.com/newquilts.html

Thanksgiving Day Views 11-26/27-10

I didn't realize I had not posted this last evening until I started to do a Blog post for today (Saturday). So, it will serve for both Friday and Saturday.

I have posted pictures very much like these in previous years. The high point anywhere around this area is where Bastanchury Road and State College Blvd cross. When there is little traffic, and therefore less smog, and clear weather one can see a very long way. Click pictures for enlargements.

North about 45 miles from the top of the hill the view is of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains which are snow capped from recent early winter storms. [And more is falling tonight.]

To the west about 25 miles are the towering high rises in Los Angeles.

On the south the road drops off quickly and in the center distance are the towers of South Coast Plaza. Closer on the right are tall buildings in Anaheim. If the air was perfectly clear and my eyesight was excellent, I might be able to see the Pacific Ocean in the distance (about 25 miles).

Looking east Mt. Jacinto (about 50 miles away) can just barely be seen in the center of the picture. On the other side the mountain drops down to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

One of the local TV stations introduces their newscast with: "From the mountains to the sea, to all of Southern California, news from______" It is a great place to live, which is why there are so many people making it a not so great place to live.

Thankful Thanksgiving 11-25-10

Being Thankful

After years of typing letters, keep lists and doing other computer work before the Internet, I was skeptical when everyone started connecting with everyone else, but by the turn of the century I was online with the multitudes. I have always made a class list for the classes I take at Empty Spools/Asilomar and the first time anyone listed an e-mail address was February 1996. In 1997 there were four, in 1998 there were nine, by 2000 more than half (17) of the class members were online. This year all 38 students in the two classes I took listed an e-mail address. Wikipedia says that as of June 30, 2010, the estimated population of Internet users is 1.97 billion . It swamps my brain to think that I could be connected to so many people around the world. And I have connected - to online friends in the USA, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and on around the world. Amazing! This year the Internet tops my list of things that I am thankful for.

A close second is Corky, the Poodle Prince, who adds so much love to my life. It is that unconditional love that dogs give to their caretakers that keeps depression at bay for me. For various reasons I have been without a pet for about 36 years and have said that when I stop traveling I will have a dog or a cat. Meanwhile, Corky fills my heart. And I am thankful for his parents, Sherry and Jim, for sharing the little guy with me and for all their kindnesses.

I am thankful for friends who watch out for me and make time for me in their busy lives. As much as I have lived alone in my lifetime each year makes me more appreciative of the kindness of friends.

I am thankful that I am over the bronchitis which has become an almost chronic condition for me the last few years. I hope I can improve my resistance and not have to suffer another month-long bout - ever again!

Along with the vast majority of Americans I am thankful that I live in this country and have the freedom to live my life as I choose. Today I chose to stay home alone and to sit out in the direct sun for ten minutes which is probably why I am in such a good mood! Sunshine does that! And it is so quiet today without the traffic noise from the two freeways that each run about two miles from the house.

I hope you all are able to enjoy Thanksgiving in the way you like best. Thanks for being a friend. Love, Del-at-home

Wordless Wednesday 11-24-10

Here I am, Prince-less 11-22-10

I took Corky, the Poodle Prince, home to his parents today. They will be going to the desert for Thanksgiving and, of course, Corky will also go. I have opted out because I still don't have a lot of energy and would be more than a bit of a wet blanket. The drive out is long and even longer now that I have to stop and walk around every hour or so. Better that I just give thanks at home.

Lately when Corky and I go for a walk just in the neighborhood he thinks that once he does his business it is time to return home and eat his dinner. He pulls at the lease and won't "heel". So, a month or so ago when we were within one lot of our house I slipped off the lease to see what he would do. Poor little doggie with a bad back took off like a shot and ran, ears flying, for home! The ugly brown Pacific Bell box on the right of the sidewalk is the corner of our yard. the driveway just beyond.

He makes it to the door long before I arrive and impatiently waits. What a guy! Of course, he thinks this is the way it should always be and the only way to avoid this dash for home is to take him walking somewhere away from the neighborhood. What have I set in motion?

Sheila Rauen quilt in TCQC 11-21-10

Fund raising online auctions are a good way to help an organization you support and add some quilts to your collection. The Alliance for American Quilts leans toward the traditional, but there are some great 'contemporary' traditional quilts in their auction and a few 'art' quilts also. This one appealed to me because it is a great cat and has very nice quilting.

"Taking a Break" Sheila H. Rauen 2010 Knoxville, TN 16" x 16"

Commercial cotton, polished cotton, machine applique and machine quilting

Sheila had this to say about her quilt, part of the "New from Old" challenge: "The background is made from the first blocks I ever pieced about 25 years ago. I was happy to find a good use for them as the "old" part of my design. They make a perfect "rug" or "tile floor" for the new cat and his toy mouse - a colorful place to relax or play. The [1/2"] border and binding fabric came from a skirt I used to wear in the 80's."

Sheila has done fine stitching around the cat and the mousie. And very even machine quilting on the background - it shows beautifully on the dark blue polished cotton.

She has added straight machine stitching to further define the face of the cat.

Another view of the quilting and her machine stitched signature.

The plain back shows up the quilting very well.

Showing the label Sheila applied and the label from The Alliance for American Quilts.
Sheila doesn't have a website, but is part of the Southern Highland Guild. http://www.southernhighlandguild.org/sheilarauen/