Friday Feet 05-10-13

Put your best foot forward!

 
This handsome guy is Bud who lives with Mary and Joe in San Juan Bautista.  He is the cat version of Greta Garbo - so dramatic and he only likes his parents.  He will let me pet him now and then, but mostly it is just  "I want to be alone".

Things that seem odd to me. 05-09-13

When I travel I take pictures of all sorts of things.  Some are to illustrate, some are to record, some are to inspire, but some are just of odd things I see. 

 
In Bakersfield there is a traffic island that is paved with red "bricks".  I was stopped in the left turn lane and realized that they had extended the "bricks all the way to the intersection.  Why?
 

When I was loading my car at the motel in Santa Nella this stray cat was checking out the underside of the truck parked next to me.  He stayed there for a long time.
 

The only thing I could think of was that the truck had run over something that the cat was investigating for a meal.  eeeew!  I don't know how to spell that!
 

When one takes a ferry in Washington State they make sure you understand there is
NO SMOKING.
 

 
Far out on a lonely road on Whidbey Island this property owner has decorated his yard with metal sculptures.  Not a lot of traffic out there, no other cars but mine, so I guess they just enjoy having the sculptures to look at themselves.
 

Nothing odd about this pay phone in Coupeville near the waterfront.  Except that pay phones are few and far between since the advent of cell phones. 

La Conner (WA) Quilt Museum Part 3 05-09-13

Karin beautifully blends color, value and texture using many different types of fabric.
 

Her quilting defines this fern frond.
 

An irregular piece of sheer fabric is laid over a brocade fabric and accented with machine quilting following the lines of the brocade.

The exhibits will continue until June 23, 2013. http://www.laconnerquilts.com/

La Conner (WA) Quilt Museum Part 2 05-09-13

Karin generally bases her work on Alaskan birds and plants. There were about twenty quilts on the walls at La Conner, each was beautifully made using her unique techniques.
www.karinfranzen.com
 

I didn't enquire about the price of this piece - I was afraid I could afford it!
 

Great balance and a lovely subtle color scheme. I believe this bird is a shrike.

La Conner (WA) Quilt Museum Part 1 05-09-13

I'll try this in "installments".  Let me know if the photos don't show.  Del
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I couldn't be so close and not visit La Conner (WA) Quilt Museum. It is less than an hour from Coupeville. They had many antique quilts on display on the first and second floors. And on the top floor was an exhibit of quilts by Karin Franzen whose quilts I have long admired.

 
This is a wonderful, happy 1930s quilt with very nice quilting.
 

The balloons are each about the size of a dime and the strings are embroidered with stem stitch.

Apologies 05-09-13

Sorry about the lack of images.  I am working on it.

The images appear on my computer and under several e-addresses.  But, apparently, for nobody else.  If you CAN see the pictures let me know.  Del

Wordless Wednesday 05-08-13

 

 

 

 

Monday Browsing

UPDATE ON LIBBY LEHMAN – Paula Golden (McL) posts; "Popular teacher Libby Lehman suffered a brain aneurysm last week that required surgery, and she had repeat surgery this week following a stroke. If you would like to send a card to Libby's family, her husband Lester has requested cards be sent to: Libby Lehman, 617 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002

Signs of SPRING:  http://local.msn.com/stories-in-pictures-spring-green 

Shipping container house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWlQPNcfHro&feature=youtu.be 

Something creep about Donald Trump 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/donald-trump-caterpillar_n_3209328.html

Awesome natural tunnels:

http://ritemail.blogspot.in/2012/12/top-10-beautiful-tree-tunnels.html

I assume this is a place people "dump" pictures - a pretty weird collection:

http://ritemail.blogspot.com/2013/04/ritemail-picdump-57-pics.html

 
Rhododendron - Coupeville, WA  04-25-13

Fabric Break 05-05-13

When I was driving I-5 south from Portland I needed a break.  I have been to Quiltz in Ashland, OR, before and remembered it had a very nice selection of fabric.  So, I pulled off the highway and found my way to the store.   http://www.ashlandquiltz.com/


It isn't a huge store, but it is well lit and has the fabric displayed well.  There is a separate room for sale fabric. 
 

Right outside their door the pink dogwood was in full bloom.  Gorgeous.
 

These are the darks I chose.  Third from the top is a Hoffman batik that another lady had on the cutting table - I waited until she had what she wanted!   The bottom fabric and the weird eyes on turquoise are both from the sale room. 
 

 
I did well with lights.  One should always buy at least one light when shopping for a fabric library.  Those cute little birdies are very much for the Modern Quilt Movement - I don't know what I will do with them, I just like them.  You know how it is.  The fabric on top is labeled Cotton Shantung and is made by Robert Kaufman.com
 

But best of all was the huge button jar with a wide assortment of plastic buttons in many shapes and sizes.   I had a lovely time digging through for buttons I can't live without.  The large triangle button is handmade of wood and was in a different place in the store.   I looked and looked for another of the little red flower at the bottom, to no avail.  This one will go on the block I made for the President's quilt.

If you are driving up or down I-5 and need a break to do some fabric feeling Quiltz is a great place to stop.  You will probably find something you need in your fabric library!

A resting day and a peaceful memory 05-04-13

Today was my planned day of rest after returning from 3031 miles in fifteen days - including a four day class,  a day with a friendship group, lunch with friends and several other events.  It was a great trip, and if I can do nothing but rest for a day I seem to be able to pick up my life again without dragging through the days.  I have napped, read, checked e-mail, worked on some stuff for Surfside QGuild, talked on the phone with a few friends, napped, read, etc.  I sometimes have a bit of an antsy feel because I have so much waiting to be done, but I force myself to rest and recuperate and make a list of things to do.  Tomorrow!   


I've also been working on pictures a bit and hope to eventually do a Picasa album and share the URL.  Readers can check it out, or not.  The pictures I have blogged will be included with those I have not blogged.   One of the most peaceful, sort of Zen memories I have is of the beach outside of Coupeville with a view of the Olympic Mountains on the peninsula across the water.  There were a few people walking on the beach, I suppose their cars are those in this view.
 

Driftwood piles up on the high tide line and pieces are drifting by in the water as the tide was coming in.
 

A gal and two guys walked by in silence.  And there are two people on the little spit of sand mid picture.  I could hear some bird calls, but otherwise there was silence. 
 

Across the water is the Olympic Peninsula with the mountains at top right.
 

I like to take a picture of my car - just to prove I was really there.  One of the drawbacks of traveling alone is that one is never in the pictures.  Taking a timed picture is just not the same!   The car is tilting because it is not completely off the pavement, but there wasn't any traffic for me to impede.