Enjoyed a one day workshop 08-27-22

Friends who belong to the group "Quilts on the Wall", which promotes member quilts in various venues, but is apparently now a ZOOM meeting group, convinced me to join them for a one day live workshop on carving and printing with linoleum blocks.  There may be a new modern name for that, but so it was called sixty years or so ago when I did it for the first time.  The teacher, Tara Ritacco, provided blocks and erasers to carve and a carving tool, along with other materials, so it was easy prep.  We ran out of time and the printing part was a demo by Tara in possibilities to do at home.  She is very imaginative and gave us a lot of inspiration to try different paints, inks, fabrics, and experiments.  I carved two blocks in the class and did a little printing with textile paint at home.  I enjoyed the day and even hit a gas station with gas for $4.99 a gallon - something I haven't seen for quite a long time.  Since then I filled my tank at $4.79, so things are looking up for a less expensive road trip to....   somewhere!

This is the first block I carved.  I was amazed that the technique came back to me after so many years.  I think I did some blocks for a project in mid-1980s, but haven't even thought about it since then.  I must have some old blocks in a box some place in this crowded house. 

Then I tried some trees and my classmates thought this looked like trees with a bird house.  I didn't intend that, but I agree.  The large white triangle was a mistake, a problem that comes with thinking in reverse and carving away what you don't want to print.  I am thinking of ways to put a couple little branches to fill the space a bit. 

So, this is what I had to work with, including a commercial leaf stamp from a box of miscellaneous art stuff, the only stamp I could find when I wanted to try printing.

This was a first print.  Need to do this so that corrections can be made to the block.  I had to carve away some layers in the upper right corner to make a clean print. 

Then I did a more "serious" test print combining the blocks.  The fabric was a scrap from a previous dyeing class, I have a box of those leftovers.   As You can see the prints are in reverse, something planned for when the carving starts.  I think an opposite carving of the bird would make an interesting border with the birds facing each other.  

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Statistics on Maine trip 09-19-16

Part of taking a Road Trip are the statistics, so if you are ho-hum about them skip this post!

From Placentia to Schoodic Institute/Acadia Nat'l Park, Maine  3861 miles
From Schoodic Institute/Acadia Nat'l Park, Maine to Placentia 3556 miles   Why the difference?  Well, I drove around the Park and that part of Maine for about 150 miles.  And I came home a different way that I drove out.  Total miles: 7417
 
Outward I took the 91 Fwy to I-15 to I-70 in Utah then east to Columbus, Ohio.  North on I-71 to Cleveland, and the east on I-90 to Portland, ME, and various small highways to Acadia Nat'l Park.  Schoodic is actually a separate part of the park on a penninsula slightly northeast.
Returning I drove the opposite way on the same roads, did not take a detour to see Ruth McDowell in MA, until I arrived in Limon, CO.  Then SW on US 24 to Colorado Springs to pick up I-25 south to Albuquerque, NM.   From there it is I-40 all the way to Barstow, CA. where I was back on I-15 and thence home.

This was not a sightseeing trip and I only stopped at two quilt shops and the New England Quilt Museum  (for a total expenditure of $214.94 for gifts and fabric)

I ate out twice. First at The Painted Pony in St George, Utah, where I enjoyed a meal on a previous trip and again on this one.  And at the Marriott in Portland, ME, on the advice of AAA and it was good advice - perfectly cooked salmon.  Other than that I ate from my small ice chest which I restocked periodically with stops at grocery stores and gleanings from the "free" breakfast at the motels I stayed at. .

Motel cost:  $2078.69 for 15 nights.  Comes to $138.58/night which is less than the estimated $150.  With the exception of one night at Comfort Inn and one at Fairfield Inn, the nights were all spent at Holiday Inn Express.  

My gas cost was $684.42.  The cheapest gas was $1.959 In Missouri  going both ways.
The most expensive at Cove Fort, Utah (which is, admittedly, out in the middle of nowhere) was $2.599.  Ten cents a gallon more than I paid before leaving Placentia.  And I used 271.41 gallons of fuel. 

Although I had sprinkles here and there, the only real rain was in Lowell, MA, Albuquerque, NM, and Las Vegas, NM.  Seems that almost the entire country is suffering from drought.

When I travel I eat crackers, which I rarely eat at home.  Most commercial crackers are too salty for me, but it is hard to find unsalted crackers.  I tried some gluten free at Schoodic and they were perfect, but I couldn't find any of those at the market.  I bought Blue Diamond Gluten Free Artisan Nut-Thins with Flax seed which were good, if too salty.  Also ate Nabisco Good Thins Potato with White Cheddar which were delicious but even saltier.  And Triscuits with Olive Oil and Rosemary which anyone with a taste for rosemary would love if they can take the salt.  At home I eat Trader Joe's unsalted water crackers which go with anything.  I had a box with me on the outgoing drive and I ate them all.

The most common flower I saw was the sunflower - in all it's multitudinous variety.

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This one, at least two feet taller than I, was growing in a yard in Corea, Maine.

The flowers were quite lacy and lovely.

 

 

 

This is a more common roadside variety growing in Maine along the roadway.

 

Unfortunately, I saw few live wild animals, only a sad dead porcupine.  There was a dark colored rabbit at Schoodic and some type of chipmunk.   Along the way I saw lots of cattle, horses, milk cows, mules, alpacas, llamas, sheep, goats, and buffalo.

 

It was a good trip and I would do it again given the right time and destination.

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Liz Williams' Quilt 03-05-11

Liz and I met at our usual Starbuck's in Brea.  We missed Corky who is with his parents this weekend, however, there were several handsome pooches, including a handsome chocolate Lab. 
But the best thing was this quilt that Liz just completed.  She claims I gave her the border fabric and she brought me the scraps - in a snack size Baggie! 

This is from Pearl P. Pereira's pattern "Herb Garden"  http://www.p3designs.com/

It is about 30"W x 36"L and is hand embroidered, hand quilted, machine pieced. 

Liz does her fantastic handwork at home and while she and her husband are traveling in their motor home. 

 

The names of the herbs are traced from the pattern template with fabric markers and they are perfect.  She does great work.  I love the stitches over the seams joining the blocks. 

Yesterday afternoon when I went out to do my errands I stopped at one of my "cheap" Arco stations for gas.  Immediate sticker shock - regular gas was $3.81 - I thought about looking elsewhere, but I had a nice circle route planned, so I filled my tank.  Today after I met Liz I drove past a couple Arco stations that also have cheaper gas.  However, today my very cheapest station was at $3.83, another Arco a few blocks away was $3.85.  By the time I leave for Empty Spools in a few weeks I imagine the price will be over $4/gal.  Sigh!