Quilt by Del Thomas 02-23-25

 I made this quilt in 2005 using a Ruth B. McDowell pattern from her Pieced Flowers book.  I titled it "Iris for Mom", although my mother died in 1972 this is the colors of her favorite iris.  It is usually hanging somewhere in the house because I like to be reminded of her love of flowers, iris especially. 

"Iris for Mom"  Del Thomas  2005   20" L X 22"W

Cotton fabric, thread, batting. Machine pieced and quilted.

Detail of quilting on domestic machine.

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A Sunday in February 02-09-25

 

Here we are 1268 Warren Street, Placentia, CA  92870

It was a lovely day,  about 70F with lots of whipped clouds high in a very blue sky.  Our house is basically a one story with an attic in the tallest part.   Several in the neighborhood have built out the attic into a couple more bedrooms. If I won the lottery, which I have never played, I would do that also.  I have  enough  treasures  in the  one story to fill another - fabric, of  course!   

KoKo took me for a walk about noon, the  first I have done for almost a week.   We managed a bit more than 900 steps, not much  compared to  our usual  5000+, but it did feel great to be out in the sun.

Computer is refusing to access photo files.  But it is Sunday! So, here is one of my quilts from the month before the pandemic. I was going out to Lake Havasu, AZ, then, hauling my quiltmaking along.

"Desert Dawn"   Del Thomas - CA   2020  48"L X 28"W

Cotton fabrics. Machine pieced, fused. machine quilted.

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After Empty Spools 04-21-24

It was a wonderful week, but I don't remember ever being so tired in all my life. My old body was not ready for all the packing/unpacking, lifting, hanging quilts, hiking  to/from the dining hall, and being "ON" most of the day.  Fortunately, everyone was willing to help.  I just needed to ask.  Everything went fairly smoothly, but needed more time to take down and bundle the quilts on Friday. Thanks to Suzanne, Star, Deborah, and many others I survived the week!  Decided I was unsafe behind the wheel to drive home on Friday, so stayed another night at Asilomar and came home on Saturday.  The drives, both up and back, were seven hours.  Going up there was extremely heavy traffic and heavy rain that lowered visibility so much I considered getting off the highway and waiting it out!   Coming home I decided to stick closer to the speed limit and see what mileage I could get - 23.5 mpg.  Not bad for a 19 year old car!

Here are just three  pictures.  More to come....

  

Suzanne Cox,  one of the three original owners and the only one still active.

Del and Nancy Ota's wonderful quilt "KoKo and Froggy" which she loaned for this exhibit.

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Sadness 12-03-23

This has been a sad autumn for me. Four friends have died,  And now my sister in Oregon has died.   She turned 88 on November 12th and died on November 30th.  She had four boys and a  girl and the second son called to tell me.  Ellamarie had not spoken to me in several decades, would not take my phone calls and I suppose she did not open any cards or letters I sent. I don't know why she took against me.  I moved to California when I was 18, while she was married and started her family.  Before our mother died in 1972 I went up about every other year,  but  ultimately she would take the children and go to eastern Oregon until I left!   She never came down to see me.  She lived in our childhood house in Portland and, as  far as I know never traveled.   She has been widowed for about ten years.  I am sad,  but we have  been  estranged for decades now and the connection we had growing up was broken  long ago.  She  passed  that  break on to her children who I do not know and have  random contacts with only two.  

These are the only pictures I have on the computer of us together.

Ellamarie and Del In Portland, Oregon,  August  2004

Ellamarie and Del - Portland, Oregon    About 1951?

We were both sick, but a door-to-door photographer came by and our mother thought we should  have a picture taken.  Ellamarie had  naturally curly hair which could be dampened and twisted  around a finger.  I,  on the other hand, had perfectly straight hair and wore it in pigtails.  And this is what happens when they are brushed out.   

Del and Ellamarie  - Portland, Oregon. About 1941

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Surfside QGuild meeting 01-11-23

Surfside Quilters Guild meeting in San Clemente yesterday.  I enjoy being with my quilting friends and seeing the quilts they have produced.  This month we were asked to bring the first quilt we made; a bit of a stretch for me, but I do have a wedding ring quilt from about 1948 when I was helping my maternal grandmother and her quilt group at the Grange in Clackamas, Oregon.   I was only ten, but they were teaching me how to hand quilt on a frame and allowing me to thread their needles.  I wish it was so easy for me now-a-days.  Anyway, the quilt is completely scrap with a pale yellow background and depression green backing.  One fabric has completely deteriorated so I can no longer launder the quilt unless I mend all those pieces.   But I have cuddled in it all my life as it is one of the first quilts I worked on.  The very first quilt I made when I was about seven and sat on grandmother's front porch hand-sewing together about three inch squares to make a quilt for my dolly - it is long gone.  

Back is Depression Green - very faded now.

Del wins the refreshment table decoration from Jaine Culbertson, Hospitality Chair.  One must remember to put one's name in the basket when they provide refreshments, usually I forget.  But I had the box of Dewar's taffy that the financial people send every year.  It is delicious, but much more than I can enjoy.   One member kindly took home the leftovers.  

I was wearing the beautiful hand-dyed rayon indigo scarf that friend Deb McKay gave me Saturday.  She did a workday with some friends to learn about indigo and experiment with the technique.  I think she made a beautiful piece.  Thanks, Deb. 

Our speaker this month was Tina Curran  who told us about her Design Process.

www.tinacurran.com   She is a local quilt designer with a line of patterns using her method for freezer paper piecing.  Her presentation was professional and interesting.  

SCalifornia had a huge rain event yesterday and I had a hard time driving in it,  Fortunately many drivers listened to the warnings and stayed off the roads.  so even at reduced speed I was there in an hour.

Missed the usual view of I-5 and the ocean beyond.  My car on the right, the drop off about five feet beyond the fence.  Slow drive home, but the rain wasn't as heavy.  The soil is saturated now and more storms coming, but how can we complain after so many years of draught.  

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Computer has been down 06-28-22

The problem isn't with my laptop, but with the AT&T connection.  Paid a visit to the Geek Squad today and Sean showed me a couple "go arounds", but I have been bounced twice.  Maybe it is time to try another carrier - Spectrum is about the only other possibility.  Sigh.  For the moment I am on line, but can't think of anything to say here.  It has been very hot, over 90F every day, and we are walking when it drops to 79F  usually after dark.  8:30pm tonight.  We live in an area that doesn't get much through traffic and there are lots of street lights and people leave their porch and yard lights on quite late or all night.  I always carry my cane and keep my eyes open for coyotes, other people walking dogs, and any strange cars.  It is very pleasant to walk just as the sun is going down, lovely skies with silhouettes of the trees.  

I have talked about Monthly Minis at Surfside Quilters Guild.  At each meeting tickets are sold for a drawing featuring something donated by a member.  Could be a small quilt, handbag, tote, placemats, aprons.... whatever anyone has donated.  For our June meeting I donated a little quilt that I made as a sample for a pattern I designed in 1994.  At that time I was thinking I might develop a line of patterns, but eventually decided that the logistics were more than I wanted to handle.  So this little Uncle Sam has been in a drawer all these years.  I recently came across it and thought it would be a good time to donate it for a Monthly Mini.  

The figure on the right was another design about the same time. 

Pam Hadfield, the lady in the center, had the winning ticket.  I am on the left, not realizing how silly I would look with my mask pulled down off my face.  On the right is Pattie Sexton representing the MoMini committee.  The income on this was about $280.  The tickets are a dollar or six for five dollars.  

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Miscellaneous 11-14-21

I do have a hard time at guild meetings figuring out who is who.  Everyone does not wear a mask, but enough do that I need to really search my brain and the pictures in the directory to decide which person is in the picture I have taken.  They don't have any trouble with me because of the hat.  I didn't mean to take this image, but my phone does its own thing sometimes and reverts to selfie or even to video!  And sometimes I think I am taking one picture and find I have 20 on my phone.  I may revert to a camera.   You see the problem I have with the light from all the windows.

A few years ago I ate a hard boiled egg that was laid the day before and it was so delicious I have tried to find a nearby source for "home grown" eggs.  Then I heard chickens clucking in the back of a house in the neighborhood.  When I asked about them the fellow asked me if I wanted some!  Of course, I replied.  He gave me a plastic egg container and said to just leave it on his porch when I needed more.  This is my third dozen and they are so tasty.  He seems to have several different kinds of hens and they lay different colored eggs.  I have always been delighted with the lovely colors of Araucana eggs.The eggs are different sizes so they wouldn't do for baking, but I haven't baked anything in years.  I just eat them. 

I drove down to Oceanside on Thursday to see the exhibits at Oceanside Museum of Art, especially the lovely fabric sandhill cranes by Charlotte Bird, and had lunch at Rosewood Kitchen with my friend Beth.  The carbonara is different than I have had anywhere else, but it is delicious.  They have a patio on the sidewalk so the people watching is interesting.  The inside decor is ...  I don't know what the word would be... eclectic?  Here is a statue on a hand painted pedestal - the lady is wearing a huge human sized picture brimmed hat.  The second picture is the bathroom wall, but the painting continues across the ceiling and also inside the door.  In the dining room long stemmed roses hang from the ceiling, they have been dead for a very long time.   I am happy eating outside on the sidewalk patio!

This week I will take some pictures of quilts added to TCQC the last six months or so.  Then I will have something to post on Sundays. 

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Wordless Wednesday 01-06-21

 

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Looking back 06-18-20

In June 2009 I took a class in deconstructed screen printing with Rayna Gilman.  What an eye opener that was.  Some of my experiments were dreadful, but I had a couple that turned out very well and I was surprised!  I have only done the technique once since then; I had a specific look in mind and was successful with that.  

This is one of four that I did in class off of the same screen.  There is a lot of paint on the screen so one can just keep moving the screen to a fresh piece of fabric  and squeegy-ing until there isn't enough paint left to print.   This was about the middle run.  To make the impression I used net, plastic scraps, sequin waste, and shredded bark from a crepe myrtle tree.  I like it so much that I fear that if I do something with it I will ruin it!  Someday....

Rayna and I in the classroom.  One thing this brings home is how much I have aged in eleven years.  I was only 70 then, now I am 81.  Still wearing the same hat, scarf, and earrings.

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Surfside Quilt Guild meeting today 03-10-20

Jenny Lyon was the speaker at SQG today.  We had never met, but ten years ago I purchased her 12"X12" quilt "May Day" on the Studio Art Quilt Associates online auction.  It is an exquisite silk piece with very fine machine quilting and it is embellished with the tiniest beads.  She said today that looking through a book of Japanese Mons (komon) inspired her to design this piece.  

Jenny Lyon, maker, and Del Thomas, collector, with Jenny's 2010 work "May Day", a 12" X 12" silk quilt with hand beading.   Machine pieced and FMQ.  

I did take pictures of the quilts that Jenny showed at the meeting, but AOL is having problems and I haven't figured out a way around them.  So, I will try to post them soon.

Lots of rain today - hurrah!  More is promised for the rest of the week.  Temps in mid 60s and mid 50s at night.  KoKo and I just walk in the rain and then come in and get dried off.  It is not too cold and we warm up fast.  

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KoKo visits Santa 12-22-19

We braved the crowds again this year so KoKo could visit Santa at PetSmart in Brea, CA. 

Santa is a dog trainer and a rather large guy. 

KoKo is very small in comparison.  I gave him a brush up before we went in, but had to wait in line with a bunch of scary big dogs, so KoKo got a bit mussed up.

Santa invited me in for a shot, I think he just wanted to put his arm around me!

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Book Group Christmas 12-18-19

Today was our annual Christmas Lunch and we didn't take a picture!  We usually forget because we are so busy talking, eating, exchanging gifts, and just generally having a great time. 

So, here is a somewhat formal image from March 2019 taken at Placentia Library. 

Book Group  March 2019

Teresa, Nancy, Carol, Verna, Ann

Del, Marlita, Kathy, Joann

Book Group Christmas 2010

Marlita,  Carol, Nancy, Verna, Del

Kathy, Teresa

[I did a typo and had the wrong date here, this image is from December 2010 not 2019.  Sorry]

Book Group Spring Tea  Circa 1990s

Teresa, Verna, Carol, Del, Ann, Kathy

TCQC quilts at Surfside QGuild 12-12-19

On Tuesday morning I presented a program at the meeting of Surfside Quilters Guild in San Clemente, CA, showing some of the quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection. The Collection contains about 365 quilts, but, of course, I could only show about 35 in the hour of the program.  When the guild started in 2009 I did the first program and a subsequent one in 2011, so I tried to only show quilts that weren't in either of those programs.  The members seemed to enjoy the presentation, it is always exciting to see a quilt "in the fabric" made by one of the "stars" in our quilting world.

On the stage to the left are "Rialto Tree" by Denise Oyama Miller and "Eleven 3 Thirteen" by Marianne Burr (which is all hand appliqued and quilted).  And on the right is Ruth B. McDowell's quilt "A Rash of Flamingos" (one of the larger quilts in the Collection at 100"W and 52"L).  

If any of you have pictures you took at the meeting I would enjoy having copies of them.  Can't give a program and take pictures at the same time!  

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The drive on Wednesday 02-22-19

Here are some pictures straight from the camera, no editing, no cropping, no color adjustment.  Sorry, it the best I can do currently. 

Driving north on the south side of the mountains on what is referred to as "The Ridge Route".There is lots of old snow all along the way. 

Fresher snow in the Fraser Park area and more dark clouds.

Over the top and down the Grapevine the sun is shining and a few wildflowers are up. 

Oh, Oh!  Just the beginning of periodic showers. 

The almond trees are just beginning to bloom and the sun has caught this orchard making it glow white under the low black clouds.  

The almond orchards stretch for miles and....

….miles on both sides of I-5.

The sun is setting under the cloud layer and glows wonderful colors.

This is what I get when I think I am taking a picture of the landscape and inadvertently have the phone set on selfie!  

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Ten years ago 04-17-18

Sometimes I like to look back at the pictures I took in past years.  This one is from almost ten years ago, although it doesn't seem that long!  I drove up to Tehachapi to see my friend Mabel who was visiting her daughter and family.  Mabel and her husband Mac had driven down from Washington State.   I still have the hat and the necklace and the pink shirt, which I just wore yesterday.  Didn't realize I had worn it for so long - it still looks good! 

Mabel and I write e-mails to each other every day.  We just talk about our day and I always have to talk about the weather - I'm just that way!  I hope to drive up to see her in May or June.  And maybe I will take KoKo along, she says he is welcome.  What a friend.  

Del Thomas and Mabel Huseby 

Tehachapi, CA  05-07-08

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More on Morro Bay visit 09-21-17

Blogger is messing me up again.  I redid these pictures twice and Blogger keeps putting them in the opposite order than they should be.  You can read from the bottom up if you want to be "in order".

 

These were only two of the great quilts that were part of Show & Tell.

As I remember, this one is paper pieced and it is spectacular. 



  

This calm, soothing flying geese quilt is just gorgeous, but see the back below! 

 

I don't usually show quilts unless I have the name of the maker, but perhaps the makers will see this and send me their names.  This is the back of the flying geese quilt above.  Such a wonderful, colorful, wild back to such a calm quilt.  I love both sides. 

 

 

Del Thomas at the beach at Morro Bay rock.

Liz Williams at the beach at Morro Bay rock.

This is a terrible picture, I know.  But I couldn't get any closer to the sea otters.

A view of the sea otter "nursery" in a cove near the rock. We thought we could count 14 mommies with their babies. 

At one time the rock was mined and the rocks used to create the causeway from the  mainland.

This view is from the causeway and the huge parking lot.  Most of these vehicles are parked by the surfers who were trying out a not very convincing surf.  We didn't see anyone rise to the top of their board. 

 

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