Too tired tonight 06-06-09

Don't want you all to worry if I don't blog, but I can hardly think tonight. Maybe I will be able to post a quilt from TCQC tomorrow! For sure on Monday!

Meanwhile, here are two more blog posts from QNat'l 2009:

http://suedennisartquilts.blogspot.com/2009/05/caught-my-eye-at-quilt-national-09.html
http://suedennisartquilts.blogspot.com/2009/05/caught-my-eye-at-quilt-national-09-2.html

Love, Del

More photos from QNational 2009 06-05-09

I think these are interesting for the different angles the quilts are depicted. The quilt made of little flags is much more interesting knowing that it is 'see through' and hung on a curved rod.

http://www.aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/

http://simplyrobin.blogspot.com/2009/05/show.html

http://simplyrobin.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-quilt-national-photos.html

Here are some views of a Belgian QShow showing quilts by Linda Colsh, one of my favorite quilt artists:

http://dutchcomfort.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/coloured-bedspreads-or-art-quilts/

Purple snow! 06-04-09

June is the month of "June Glooms" and purple snow (can't call it purple rain, Prince has a lock on that). A nice season in SCalifornia - cool and comfortable in the mornings and warm enough for the beach in the afternoons. And there are quite a few blossoming trees, including the lovely Jacaranda.

When the wind comes up, the petals blow around very much like dry snow. Most of the Jacarandas are in full bloom now, if they had a fragrance we would all be drunk!

My Heart's Okay 06-02-09

This is another organ recital! The pains in my chest are not caused by heart problems. I have some fatty deposits - not unusual at my age - and the pressure in my heart is somewhat elevated. The 'cure' for these problems is weight loss and exercise. Those two hateful words that have haunted me all my life. I'll see my GP tomorrow and she and I will have to come up with something. No liquid diets for me, my body refuses to cooperate. I'll let you know in about six months -so, around Thanksgiving.


"Champagne Hearts" Del Thomas 2007 Fiberart Postcard 6"W x 4"L

Yellow flowers 06-01-09

This one santalina plant grows in the corner of the front yard - it is about six feet in diameter and has been here for over 20 years. The gardener keeps wanting it trimmed! I hope I have convinced him that I like a somewhat rangy yard.

Each little yellow pillow sits up from the silvery green foliage and sparkles in the sun.

The Coreopsis border is also of long standing. The previous gardener let the Bermuda grass grow into the plants, so we had to remove about half of them. If I get out there with the weed whacker and lop all the dead flower heads off, we will have another crop of flowers this summer. If one is diligent there may even be three crops. I love these hardy little plants.

Like frilly yellow petticoats whirling in the breeze.

TCQC - Summer Lily cont'd 05-31-09

The violet fabric w/triangles is one of the designs that Ruth created in 1993 for Kona Bay Fabrics. This image also shows a blue hand dye (Judy Robertson) and a blue/pink batik.

Ruth always makes lovely hand lettered labels.

The backing fabric is a Marimekko print. If you click to enlarge you will see the machine quilting patterns Ruth has used. She quilts on a home machine.

TCQC Summer Lily 05-31-09

"Summer Lily" Ruth B. McDowell 2002 58"W x70"L
Machine pieced, machine quilted, cotton fabrics, cotton thread.
Ruth's comments about this quilt: I love the candelabra shape of the northeastern wildflower, Lilium Canadensis. The flowers, which in nature are only 3 inches or so across, have been greatly enlarged for the quilt. My quilts develop from the fabrics I happen to have at the time. A very large-scale white background fabric in the borders is a drapery remnant from Holland. mcdowellquilts@comcast.net

I am a big fan of commercial prints and this quilt has so many different fabrics that every time I hang it I see one I didn't notice before. I've taken some detail pictures and I'm sure that some of you can identify every fabric. I'll just point out a few.

The large piece of blue on the right is a Marimekko, as is the yellow plaid in the upper left. There are several batiks and also 2 pieces of hand dye on the lower left.

On the right is more of the violet w/triangles fabric, just below it and to the left is another fabric from the same line and a hand dyed shibori seen in several places in the quilt.

Center top is more of the hand dyed shibori, to the right of which is a piece of the large print from Holland, the leaf across the middle is from the Kona Bay fabric line Ruth designed, across the bottom is some Kaffe Fassett Swiss Chard fabric and in the corner more of the Holland piece.