Saturday, May 25, 2013

Quilt National - a full day 05-25-13

As you can see, it is much too late for me to be up.  But I wanted to show you a bit of QN '13.


"My Town by the River"  Pamela Allen - Kingston, Ontario, Canada  60"W x 48"L
I like Pamela's work - a lot - although I cannot add some of her quilts to TCQC, because they are too embellished.   She said she is trying to work in more monochromatic values right now.  This is her first time in QNational.   
 

Karen Rips with husband Ted.  Karen's very original quilt "High Water Mark" is hanging and I did take a picture of her with it.  But that will have to wait for another post.
 

"The Conversation"  Mary Ann Tipple - Elyria, Ohio 72"Wx92"L
I met Mary Ann when I came to the QN opening in 2009 and I think her work is exceptional.  A few years ago I added one of her quilts to TCQC, but have yet to post it on my Sunday blog.  The people in the quilt are her dad and his sister.
Mary Ann's quilt won the QSDS and was purchased at the opening.
 

The quilt "Springfield" by Brooke Atherton - Billings, MT., won the Best of Show award.  It is encrusted with many small found items - rocks, glass, pieces of wood, paper - and more.
I don't have an ID on the woman on the right.
 

"Sunlit Canyon" by Patty Hawkins is one of several quilts that sold immediately, but not to me!  The quilt is 52"W x 28"L.  Most of Patty's quilts depict some aspect of aspen trees, she lives in Estes Park, CO.

Tomorrow is the last of the events and I will have to decide on a route to go home.  But I may stay here another night just to reorganize and get a little extra rest.  It is 1am now - much too late.   But I am having a great time.    
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Friday, May 24, 2013

Friday Feet 05-24-13

I drove 2354 miles in five days and arrived here at 2pm an hour early for check-in at the SAQA conference.  Timed it just right - but not intentionally.  I thought I would arrive here yesterday so I would have a chance to rest and re "set" my brain.  Oh, well, I'll get my brain working tomorrow!

This late afternoon was the opening of Quilt National '13 with quite a crowd.  The quilts are, as expected, wonderful and there are at least ten that I would like to buy.  But I don't have the money.  I may buy one or two.  However, all the quilts travel for at least two years, so I wouldn't receive the quilts until sometime in 2015.  I'll look again when there are fewer people milling about. 

I only took two pictures today.


Considering how cold it was today - mid 50's - I was surprised to see so many women and men in sandals.  These are nice with the shiny surface reflecting the light.  But no stockings - horrors.
 
 
And I took this picture of a beautiful hand-dyed jacket.  I tried to get around to her front side to read her name tag, but she moved off and I couldn't find her again. 
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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Friday Feetless 05-23-13

I didn't do as well as I hoped today - only 475 miles.  I'm not beating myself up about it because the delays were varied.  Although the day dawned clear and bright, by the time I reached St. Louis it started to rain - very fine at first but then I topped a rise in the roadway and looked into what I thought at first was a fog bank.  No.  It was a downpour.  And so it continued most of the afternoon - light, heavy, stopped.  But the biggest delay was miles and miles and miles of construction.  An early sign read "Construction work ahead - 33 miles". I thought it odd that they would post the sign so far ahead - NO, they mean 33 miles of construction. The next sign said "Road Work 2 miles ahead" and soon thereafter I-70 narrowed to one lane each direction and stopped - it took about 45 minutes to go just a few miles. The construction was not continuous, but close enough. I spent a total of about an hour and three quarters just sitting in traffic backed up in one lane going east. Very frustrating.  Tonight I am on the east side of Indianapolis at HIE-East.  It is 250 miles to Athens, OH, so maybe 4-1/2 hours barring construction and heavy rain/wind.  Cross your fingers for me!

 
I saw the first roadside Starbuck's sign I'd seen in days and turned off at Creve Coeur, MO, to find it and indulge myself.  It is surely one of the most elegant Starbuck's I have seen and I have seen quite a few.  I think it was originally a bank branch buildin, or something similar, with high ceilings, elaborate brick work and some elegant ceiling lights.  In the curved area by the outside door this young college student was ensconced backward in her chair.  She makes such a lyric line with her body and the blue w/white polka dot blouse is perfect.  I wanted to tell her how great she looked, but maybe she was sitting like this so nobody would bother her.  "I vant to be alone" - like Greta Garbo! 
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Road Trip - First day (05-19-13) Posted 05-22-13

It appears that the problem I have been having with Blogger has gone away - or maybe hiding out to hit me again.  Here are a few images from the first day.


Anyone who has traveled with me knows that one BIG reason I want to drive everywhere is that I want to take everything with me.  Here is proof that I can pack light.  Some of this stuff is permanently in my car, no matter where I am, like the box of bottled water on the left, and my little folding stool in the blue tote bag on the right.
 

You will notice that the back seat is in seating configuration instead of flat for cargo.  And look at that huge empty space beside my "bed bag".  I don't want anything to shift as I am driving so I pulled the black Empty Spools bag down to stabilize the load.  I still hang my shirts and pants on a clothes pole so that they won't be wrinkled when I want to wear them.
 

Here is one of my favorite signs.  It is located on the ramp from I-15 to the beginning of I-40, just east of Barstow.  Every time I see it I am tempted to just keep driving until I reach the Atlantic Ocean - all the way on I-40.  After this trip I don't think I will be quite so tempted. 

This is day four of my drive to Athens, Ohio, (a gorgeous, sunny day in the mid-70's) and I am spending the night in Springfield, MO.  I still have about 700 miles to go before I am at my destination, but I did 652 miles today and I believe I can do the remaining miles in one and a half days.  I hope to find some time to post some pictures tomorrow evening or Friday.   
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

No Blog post tonight. 05-20-13

Sorry - Google won't let me sign in.  They want me to change my password, so I have changed it and they tell me it is not a valid password.  I'm too tired for this tonight.

I am in Gallup, NM, after a 542 mile driving day and I gotta get to bed.  I am watching the storm news and will look again in the morning before deciding on a route.  Love, Del-on-the-Road

Monday, May 20, 2013

Another Road Trip 05-19-13

I'm on another Road Trip.  This time to Athens, Ohio, for Quilt National opening and the SAQA symposium.  As usual I had a hard time getting everything done and actually on the road.  But I didn't go far, I'm spending the night in Barstow.  Tomorrow I'll turn east on I-40 and go 1214 miles to Oklahoma City before turning NE.  Haven't decided exactly what route I will take from there.  I only have four and a half days and it is a lot of miles. 

If you are in Athens, please look me up.  Short, fat lady who always wears a hat!