Friday Feet 11-09-12

 

This lady was waiting for a friend to arrive at Visions Art Museum and her friend was late for the Brainstorms opening.   She said her friend told her it would be a dressy occasion, so she wore her golden slippers. 

Weather 11-08-12

Not much compared to the weather along the east coast, but for SCalifornia rain is welcome in November, the high firestorm season.   We moved into this house in September, 1986, and when the first rain came I couldn't figure out what the strange noise was - a sort of popping sound.  I finally figured out it was raining and weird sound was the rain drops on the aluminum patio cover.  It is sort of an early warning system, before I look out the window!

Wordless Wednesday 11-07-12

 

Monday Browsing 11-05-12

Red and White quilt love: http://pinterest.com/quiltworx/red-and-white-quilts/

This is the guy who carves quilts and garments from wood: www.gofraser.com

And here is a little video about how he does it: http://pinterest.com/pin/145804106657501550/

Quilt Festival at Houston2012 winners: http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

Eastern Washington road: http://pinterest.com/pin/145804106656943921/  Looks like a quilt.

Here is an older, but useful Blog post by Gloria Hansen on coating fabric before printing on it: http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/?p=169

I happen to be reading “Double Cross” by Ben Macintyre which is about WWII spies and D-Day, including information about using pigeons. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/world-war-ii-carrier-pigeon-surrey_n_2057149.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing6%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D228819

I get a little annoyed about Pinterest because so many “pins” are not identified nor the artist given credit – I just don’t believe in “Anonymous is a Woman”, if you have created something you should have credit whenever it is displayed. Here is a Pinterest page where the writer “pins” art quilts she likes, including some that are in TCQC and even one by me! She has identified many of the images with titles and makers. Nice of her.
http://pinterest.com/dmenberg/art-quilts-i-love2/

Last year on November 6th I took this picture of the piles of clouds over Orange County and some of the snow on the mountains.  And today it was 91F at my house.  You just never know what the weather will do.

 

Aileyn Renli Ecob quilt in TCQC 11-04-12

I do love Aileyn's work, mostly done by hand, and here is another of her quilts. 
This one was purchased at the SAQA online auction in October of this year.

Oak leaves in the golden autumn colors, set off by dark brown bark and still some green leaves in the background.  I especially like the green fabric with the dots which adds some liveliness.  The other Aileyn quilt in TCQC is a Calla Lily.  I cannot find the post that shows just that quilt, but here is a picture of it and another Calla Lily quilt she showed at Pacific Int'l QFestival 
http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/calla-lily-by-aileyn-ecob-part-of-tcqc.html
It was a prize winner that year.
See more of her work at www.fiberonthewall.com


"Autumn Gold"  Aileyn Renli Ecob - Walnut Creek, CA   2012  12" X 12"
Cotton Fabric and thread.  Hand and machine sewing.  Machine quilted.  Fabric markers used.

Aileyn does beautiful handwork - her applique stitches are almost invisible.

And her hand quilting is small and even.

A nice deep sleeve with an extra quarter inch to accommodate those fat poles used at some quilt shows.

Nice to see the stitching on the back.  I believe this is a Marimekko fabric.

And a clearly written label with contacts.  I have added the date and the size.

Running away from home Part 3 (of 3) 11-04-12

I was in the Bishop Creek campground for about an hour and half - taking pictures, enjoying the fresh air and sorting through my memories.    I really must try to get up there more often.  I might even buy a fishing license and live crickets to try for some brown trout. 


These aspen are on the top of a little knoll and exposed to the wind, so all their leaves are gone.  

 
While these aspen and willows growing down by the stream are still retaining their leaves. 

The stream was rather full for this time of year.  Could be snow melt, but it could also be water released from impoundments up stream.  California Edison Company uses the water for power generation and there are quite a few small Edison plants all along the valley.  

 
There are, however, little slow backwaters and I saw one small trout in the shade of a fallen tree.

 
Such a glorius color.  Yellow and blue is my favorite color combo. 

 
Why did these two leaves hang on while all the other leaves are "gone with the wind".
 

Back down the road which curves to the right to the locked gate.  The golden bush is a willow growing between the road and the stream. 

Aspen and grass and a boulder in the background.  

And the wind dropped this one leaf on a big boulder along the road.  Nice cracks, nice shadows.   

 
Back to the car parked by the gate. 

 
I drove across the road and looked back at the gate next to a row of small aspen. Fresh snow on the high peaks and, oh-my-goodness, what a blue sky.
 

 
Looking up the valley from the other side of the road.  Willows close by, aspen in the distance and a medium sized Ponderosa pine to the left. 

 
Looking down the valley to  the little lake called "Intake Two" - the perfect angle to catch the blue sky reflected in the water.  Sometimes we took the little outboard up and Floyd fished from the boat - not my favorite thing to do, I've never been much of a boat person.

 
A little further down the road is the "Big Trees" campground.  At one time there was at least one house here where employees of Edison lived.  There are Ponderosas, aspen, Lombardy poplars, willows and some rabbit brush in the foreground.

 
Down, down, down - from 8500 feet to 4100 feet.  The White Mountains are in the distance.  The meandering light line on the nearer hillside is a large pipe carrying water down to the valley.  It used to be a pipe made of wood planks and wire bands, but sometime in the 90s they replaced it with a metal pipe.   Note the snowplow marker with a red top on the far left - so close to the edge, love those snowplow drivers.

 
Heading south on Highway 395 I spotted this elk herd and pulled over in a wildlife watching area.  The Owens Valley is home to several herds and they are coming down from the foothills before the snow flies.

Here is the papa elk - second from the left - he has surely been fighting for his harem since part of one of his antlers is gone.  Quite a few youngsters in this herd of about eighteen critters. 

 
Further on I pulled off in Lone Pine to take this picture of Mt Whitney - somewhere in there.  I don't know if it was snow or clouds blowing off the tops, but it was very lovely. 

Then I just drove until I arrived home about 8;30pm.  Great short escape.
#   #   #