Wordless Wednesday July 15 , 2014 07-15-20

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International Quilt Study Center, Lincoln, NE 08-05-14

This is a look back at July 24th when I visited the IQSC for few hours.  They had quite a variety of quilts displayed: thirties and older quilts, quilts from Pakistan and examples from other eastern countries, and several contemporary art quilts. 

 

I've always admired Joy's work, but she is not very prolific and I have not seen many of her quilts in-the-fabric.

Sue Benner works with many styles, maybe that is why I enjoy her work so much.  Always something new and original.  I love the layers in this piece.

 I am not familiar with this artist, but I was impressed with this quilt.  Her technique reminds me of both Regina Benson and Karen Rips.  It is great to hear that IQSC is expanding their interests into the "new" quilts of the late 20th C and early 21st C.

 

Since I had just been to the Quilters Hall of Fame locate in Marie Webster's 19th C home in Marion, Indiana, I was interested in the display they had of her quilt designs and ephemera.

From Ladies' Home Journal, Jan 2012

There is a smaller size of this quilt design at the QHOF that was made by Sandy Sutton who lives here in Orange County.  Sandy was at the celebration for Ruth McDowell in Marion - what a small world it is! 

Fabulous quilting

More of Marie Webster's  designs.

 Antique Star of Bethlehem and Sue Benner's "Cellular Structure VIII". 

 

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Flowers 08-01-14

It was a most unusual Roadside Rest Stop and I am not sure if it was in Missouri or Indiana.  I'd spent the night in Columbus, MO, and was on my way to Marion, IN, when I stopped for a walk around and to visit the facilities.  Someone has obviously spent a good deal of time tending the flowerbeds - they were spectacular. 

 

  I took my traditional picture of my car showing the license plate, just to prove I really was on a trip.  Unlike the landing on the moon. .

 

 

Coneflower with bee.

Coneflower sans bee.

Nicotiana (tobacco plant)

I have no idea what this is (see below) - Lobelia and Pinks in the lower right.

 

This is how this strange plant grows.  Anyone know what it is?

Friend Deb McKay identifies this as Amaranth - Splendens Perfecta.

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Home again, Home again, jiggety jog....

...or however the old nursery rhyme goes.  I won't do a blog  tonight, unless I wake up in the wee hours and can't go back to sleep.  It was a great trip (4988 miles) and I appreciate all the good friends who kept track of me and worried about me.  I'll have more trip pictures and comments over the coming week.  Love, Del-at-home

Had at least a bit of "hanging rain" every day.  This is in Kansas on US-54.

Road Trip - Indiana Rock Springs, WY to Cedar City, UT 07-27-14

Rock Springs is infested with bulls!  They are made from plywood and have only four pieces - a horns, body with head, one pair of front legs and one pair of back legs.  Simple, but bull like.  I couldn't find out anything about them, but I had very little time in the town.   They are very colorful and add a little surprise to the streets.  I suspect they are a fund raiser where people bid on the different cows - maybe sponsored by the CofC.  But then, this weekend was the Fair and the bulls may have had  something to do with that.

 

The first view from the street that comes off the Interstate! 

From the other side with a more presentable visage.

Some of the bulls are identified with businesses, this JCPenney's bull has a glint in his eye.

Others don't seem to be identified with anything, but all are done by amateur painters.

Here you can clearly see the four pieces that make up each bull.

This one is Appleby's - clever.

Backsides all lined up.

Front sides all lined up - love the Appleby's teeth!

 

Other than this excitement I just drove - totaling exactly the miles of yesterday - 442 miles.

 

To "make my day" I met a blog friend for lunch in Orem, Utah.  Beverly Hart and I read each other's blogs and we had lunch together once before when I was driving through the Salt Lake area.  She is just a very nice lady with lots of talent - quilts and handmade soap that I have seen so far.  She once lived in and has friends in the area of Brea, Yorba Linda, Anaheim and Placentia, so she enjoys the images and info I sometimes post of those places.  We ate at Olive Garden and it was very good - I haven't been for years.  We had "small plates" AND a fabulous chocolate dessert, which we split.  I doubt that either of us could eat a whole piece, it is so rich.  And so delicious.  We had about a two hour visit before I was back on I-15 southbound.  I'm staying at HIE in Cedar City, Utah, tonight.  May make it home tomorrow, but I do want to stop at a few more Row by Row shops.  Many stores closed on Sunday in this very Mormon state, maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow. 

 

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Road Trip - Indiana, Scottsbluff, NE to Rock Springs, WY 07-26-14

After driving a little more than 400 miles today I am truly too tired to blog.  I've gone to sleep twice just sitting here with my fingers on the keyboard!  So, here are a few pictures from Chimney Rock and a couple flowers.  Tonight I am in Rock Springs, Wyoming,  and will drive on I-80 to I-15 tomorrow and I'll be on my way south for home.

 

Here is the famous Chimney Rock, It stands near some bluffs which diminish its  grandeur slightly.  But imagine walking for days from the east, over the flat land currently covered in corn.

This  austere building is the visitors center, filled with drawings, photos, paintings, engravings of this rock.   The story will have to come later.  Sorry.

 

I have the faintest idea of what this flower is, or even the family it belongs to.  Anyone know?  There is a very faint silvery line on the outside edges of the leaves.

This is Gaillardia (or Blanket Flower) growing near the parking lot.  It is the only one of its kind that I could see, so I suspect it was planted or transplanted in the hope it would reseed. 

 Most of the blooms have gone to seed, so maybe there will be baby Gaillardia  all over the place next year.
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Road Trip - Indiana Grand Island to Scottsbluff, NE 07-25-14

After driving another day across Nebraska I can attest that it is mostly flat and mostly covered in corn.  It would have been a dull day except for my stops at two quilt shops.  Other than those high points it was more flat country planted in corn with an occasional soybean field.  There weren't even any animals and it wasn't until late in the day that I saw six horses, a couple dozen cows and a smallish feed lot.  There was the Great Platte River Road Monument which stretches over I-80.  It seems to be a privately run entertainment/educational business, but I'm not sure because I didn't stop.  What on earth is it doing arched over the Interstate?  Not enough room in this wide open country?

http://archway.org/about-the-archway/

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this shop in Cozad, NE a tiny town just off I-80.  The owner and her helper were friendly and helpful, there were half a dozen happy customers while I was there and they have some great sale prices.   They do online sales and I plan to check them out when I get home.  You can also, at www.prairiepointjunction.com

 

They have a wonderful selection of fabric and also many colors of felt and patterns to go with.  Be sure to look at the display furniture - the owner has a great eye for unusual pieces that offer excellent  ways to display the products.  There is a great old pie safe that I would take in a second, although what I would do with it is beyond me at the moment.  

I did buy fabric, some that they had on sale, mostly for the philanthropic efforts of Surfside QGuild.  I choose children's prints, but there was a dearth of little boy prints, but there are a few that will do either girl or boy.  I'll keep looking.

 

 

The reason I diverted from I-80 and drove northwest to Scottsbluff was to see Chimney Rock again.  There is a story behind this, but it will have to wait for another day. 

 

I'm taking I-80 all the way to I-15 and going south through SLC, St George, the Virgin River Canyon, Las Vegas, Barstow and on to home.  Maybe Monday.

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Road Trip - Indiana Omaha to Grand Island, NE 07-24-14

I drove only about 200 miles today, but had a fun day instead.  I visited the American Quilt Study Center/Museum in Lincoln, NE.  And also visited two quilt shops in connection with Row by Row.   My eyes are extra tired tonight, so I will only post a few pictures and hope I can post more in the morning.  The first pictures are of the $2.50/a yard fabric I bought on Tuesday at Quilters Destination in Arlington Heights, IL.  Not very bright, I suppose it could be over-dyed if needed, but I will probably just use it, as is, for a backing.  It is good quality fabric, it just didn't appeal to the customers who came into this shop.

The yellow area with the cross hatches is about six inches at the widest point.

The stripe with the green "lettering" is about three inches wide.

 

I don't know how many years it has been since I saw a rotary dial phone like this.

Notice it has a modern connector at the wall.

 

 

It was part of this "vignette" at one of the motels I stayed in - it was located in the area that once was  called the "elevator lobby". 

 

Due to trees, buildings and signs this is the best image I was able to take of the Quilt Study Center/Museum at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  The parking lot sign in the foreground can't be removed - at least I can't remove it.  There is construction going on behind the pink section of the building and I was told it will be more gallery space, so people will be able to see even more quilts at each visit.  They don't object to photos, just flash cameras, I'll post some quilt pictures later.
 

 This is the sculpture in front of the building. In the picture above it is just to the left of the parking lot sign.  It casts interesting shadows.

 

This house is in York, NE, where I stopped at a quilt shop.  What caught my eye is leaning against the very large elm tree on the right.

Another Barn Star and a flag that appears to be made from a shipping flat. 

 

Gotta get to bed.  Tomorrow I will have to make the decision to go home through Denver and over the mountains, or go down I-15 through Salt Lake City, Utah,  Las Vegas and Barstow.   Both have pros and cons.

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