Actually sewing again! 01-05-21

I decided that I would just pick anything to sew.  Not worry about how it might fit unto the "agenda" of what is important.  First I mended some undies, about a ten minute task.  Yes, I do mending, it is just part of my DNA I guess - I have just always done it, by hand or machine.  

Then I took off the shelf a box with small quilts I purchased at the 2015 SAQA conference in Portland, OR.  There is always a written bid auction at the conferences and I do enjoy the action at those auctions.  So, I bid all over the place and came home with a dozen 8" X 6" lovely pieces for the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.   Each one is a little jewel and came with a white mat making them about 10" X 8".  But I don't want framed pieces, so I removed the mats.  Nothing was ever said about finishing the edges of the little works of art, so some have very raggedy edges.  It has taken me all these years to find time to tidy up the edges and mostly do a tiny zigzag around each one.  Some are very nicely finished and don't require anything more.  These four are complete as is.  But all the others need a little tidying. 

"At the Market"  Terry Grant - Oregon 2015  6"W X 8"L 

Stitched from drawing placed on the reverse side.

"Roof Lines"  Geri Patterson-Kutras  - California  2015  8"W X 6"L

Fused with house edges finished using very fine machine blanket stitch. 

"Eucalyptus Leaf"  Sue Dennis - Australia  2015  6"W X 8"L

Sue intended this to be horizontal, but I much prefer it in this orientation. 

"What's Next"  Deb Cashatt - California  2015  6" X 8"

This is fabric with a button, a part from computer innards, and a painted broken arrow.  The label is the small piece on the right, but I don't know what orientation Deb intended.  I like it this way.  

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At Studio Art Quilt Associates conference in Portland, OR 05-03-15

I haven't posted because I haven't been able to get online with my laptop late at night when I want to post.  Guess there were a lot of late night people (quilters?) staying at the hotel and they overloaded the system.  Others were having trouble also.  This is a long post with the pictures in the order I took them.

There is not a lot to take pictures of when at a conference. 

 

Mostly one sees the backs of heads - especially if one sits in the back of the room, which is what I prefer.  Lots of grey/white heads in view. 

 

Very few quilts were shown, mostly power point images.  This is Hsin-Chen Lin with one of the quilts she brought with her from her home in Taiwan.

 

 

Gabe Mackay is the son of one of the ladies in a small group I belong to.  Gabe lives in Portland and owns two restaurants; this is his Biwa, the newest one, located at NE 9th and Ankeny.  The food was quite delicious and beautifully presented.  

 

Asparagus with black sesame sauce (my favorite)

and in the background Beth's cocktail (she let me taste) made with grapefruit juice and vodka and some other unidentified flavors.

 

We also had pot stickers, chicken wings, sea trout on skewers and butterscotch + for dessert.

 

Oh, yes.  We each had a shooter.  Aren't the shells wonderful?

 

The restaurant is below street level and has all the fixtures and plumbing lines exposed.  Here are two noren made by Gabe's mom, covering some of the bareness.

We took a taxi from (and back to) the Double Tree Hotel.  (about $14 r/t) 

 

From the wall sized windows in the elevator lobby I can see many construction cranes.  They are lit up at night - this one is especially beautiful.

 

Here is today's dose of Mt. Hood.

 

On Saturday night there was a banquet at which a lively silent auction was held.  There were over 100 small quilts mounted in 8" x 10" matting frames - the exposed part of the quilt is 4.5" x 6.5" - slightly larger than a postcard.  I kept telling people that this was a FUND RAISER and to BID 'EM UP!  And I was as good as my word.  I went $270 over my preset spending limit and am taking an even dozen of these little jewels home.  I thought it was great fun and SAQA made more than $14,000!
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          Heather Dubreuil - Hudson QC, Canada
 

           Terry Grant - Beaverton, OR

 

On Friday evening there was an "activity" called "Maker's Space" where "make and take" tables were set up with an artist in attendance at each teaching and helping use different materials and techniques.  I did two of the designated tables:







 

Laura Jaszkowski (Eugene, OR) was showing how to make quick little fused landscapes.

Unfinished, mine is 8"W x 10"L

 

Betty Busby (Albuquerque, NM) had a large plastic box of paint sticks that one could experiment with.  I was struck by the thought that they would make gorgeous clouds.  I have been thinking about cloud quilts for a long time - I think I'll try this at home. These are only 8"W x 4"L, but think of them as huge.

 

 

With every lecture or panel there is more than adequate coffee set up.  Always including one of these three part trays: chocolate curls, whipped cream, and cinnamon sticks.  And, of course, tea makings, cream, sugar, etc.

The chocolate curls fascinate me - they are almost as big around as a Bic pen and less than a quarter inch long.  I tried some in my coffee, but the coffee was not hot enough to melt the chocolate, so it just ended up in the bottom of the cup when the coffee was gone.  I wonder if they have a job description of "chocolate curler" or if the curls are actually extruded in a manufacturing process.   Inquiring minds and all that.

Beth Smith, Director of Visions Art Museum in San Diego, which specializes in quilts and textiles only, and Charlotte Bird who chairs the biennial exhibit called "Visions", gave a joint talk about the museum and the process of the biennial.  The first image up was of the entrance to the museum.  The artists had questions at the end, they would all like to have a quilt in the biennial.

 

This is a view from the elevator lobby in the daytime - Portland's West Hills and construction cranes.  

The only program that showed quilts was the talk by four artists from the Oregon chapter of SAQA.  But the quilts where hung before the speakers and taken down immediately after they were through, so there wasn't much chance to look at them, much less photography.

These gorgeous elephants are by Sheila Finzer (Terrebonne, OR). 

She told a funny story about how she was taking a shower in the outdoor shower at safari camp in SAfrican when the elephants came around.  Not to miss her chance she ran out, grabbed her camera and started shooting pictures.  What we will do for a good picture.

 

Lunch today in the sort of "quick snack" bar in the lobby of the hotel.  We had a good look at the surroundings because it took forever to get our meals. My turkey Panini was excellent and my lunch partner enjoyed her grilled salmon. 

 

  I found these fabric lamps interesting.  And they are unstiffened fabric - my lunch partner was tall enough to reach up for a feel.  There is other lighting to supplement what light these give out.

 

This afternoon I took a four hour class in Katoma Shibori from Ana Lisa Hedstrom, an artist whose work I first saw in the 1970s at Obiko in San Francisco - a wonderful  shop full of original art clothing and accessories  - long gone, of course. 

 

Ana Lisa was so well organized and worked easily with limited facilities.  We dyed in buckets fill with hot water in the bathrooms of our sleeping rooms. 

 

 

This form of Shibori is done using sewing machines to fold and pleat the fabric.  These six pieces are what I did in class.  The sewing machines were provided by a local merchant.

By-the-way, the trick to removing the threads after dyeing is to use a light weight rayon thread in the bobbin, it breaks so easily the stitching comes out in seconds.  If you enlarge the images you can see the little ends of peach colored thread I haven't removed. 

 

This "wonky plaid" was fun to do and has lots of variations.

 

We were to stitch an object and I chose a flower, but the dye didn't penetrate very well. 

 

This is continuous squares or boxes.

 

The two browns are different fabrics - silk noil on the left and cotton on the right.  The silk didn't take the dye very well.  Or maybe it was the way I stitched it.  Anyway, it was an interesting class though I doubt I will do it again.  But it is in my brain filing system, just in case I decide to use it in the future.

 

And here is the daily Mt. Hood.  It will be too hazy to see her in the morning when I drive north, but maybe next weekend when I am heading home - on I-5, of course.  It is always a special trip when I see all of the mountains along the route.  Mt. Baker, Mt Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Mt. Shasta.  There are a few others in the row, but I rarely ever see them.

 

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More SAQA conference/Denver 07-05-11

 
Here is a picture taken by Linda Colsh at the SAQA conference.  It must have been at one of the "breakout" sessions during the day.  I wrote down the names of people at the tables at each session, but I don't know which session this was!  She looks wonderful, doesn't she?  Such great coloring and clothing.  If you know who it is, please let me know.  As for me - I look rather mean, don't I?  I was tempted to remove a few facial bumps and bulges, but this is what I look like, so why pretend?  I'm wearing one of Rayna Gillman's fabulous silk crepe scarves and intend to do a Blog post about "art scarves" soon - as soon as I take some pictures. 

Carol Ann Waugh kindly sent the following information:  This lady is Dianne Denholm. She owned a sewing/fabric store in Denver for many years and then started TACtile -- a fiber art center.  http://www.tactilearts.org/

More on SAQA Denver conference 06-27-11

One evening during the SAQA conference in Denver we had an opportunity to drive to Golden, CO, to see several exhibits.  Since Ruth and I were only using the front seat of the Lexus we stopped at the gathering spot and asked if any two ladies wanted a ride. We were joined by Felica Lyons of SCalifornia and Nancy Turbitt of Rhode Island.  We saw the exhibit by the Front Range Contemporary Quilters at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden and the SAQA traveling exhibit "Sightlines" at the Quilters Newsletter Magazine/Creative Crafts Group Gallery also in Golden.  Then we drove back to Denver to visit the Ice Cube Gallery where Carol Ann Waugh had a one-woman exhibit of her new work.  We saw some great quilts and I even purchased two!  

When we were looking for the Ice Cube Gallery we came across the strangest sight.  It was a sort of wagon with a bar down the middle and people sitting on either side pedaling.  Hard to explain and this picture I took is hardly any help.  .   

  However, Nancy Turbitt  ( http://studiogirasole.blogspot.com/ ) looked it up on the Internet and sent me this URL.  It is a very strange sight - so if you go to Denver keep your eyes open.    

http://www.westword.com/2011-04-14/music/denver-pedal-bar/

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SAQA Conference - Denver 05-22-11

On Wednesday driving through Colorado's mountains I broke my prescription sunglasses.  I was okay all the rest of the week wearing my half glasses, but I knew I need to find a place that to do a repair.  I skipped the first morning sessions and checked with the concierge who sent me to a place about five blocks away.  I thought the walk would do my psoas muscles good so I set off, not many people about, but Spring was obviously present!

This is the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall which has a busway down the middle - free rides. 

 But I kept walking.

All along the sidewalks the large pots have been planted with pansies.

In the very middle of this picture is a pedicab being peddled in the busway.  He slowed, smiled and said something I couldn't hear, but I was still determined and shook my head.

There are alleyways off between the buildings.  They seemed well maintained and clean, but a great contrast to the flowers and freshly leaved trees on the Mall.  I was trying to remember when I last walked in a city, but I can't.  Must have been San Jose sometime in the last year, but only for a few blocks.  I finally ran out of steam yesterday morning and took the free bus for about a block to the street I was seeking.

My glasses were fixed in about 45 minutes and I walked all the way back to the motel.  Stopped at the Rite Aid, a Colorado tourist shop for postcards, a Starbuck's for a latte and the delicious Cook's Fresh Market for some lunch to take back for Ruth and I.  The Chicken Salad was outstanding.  I was too hungry to take a picture!   This cow must be the sole survivor of a great herd and appeared to have been standing there for a long time as she was a bit beat up. 

 
This sign along the roadway in Boulder just makes me laugh.  I had to go around a couple blocks to snag a picture, but it was worth the gas - I'm smiling about it right now!
We have been so busy and I have taken pictures, but no time to get them 'cleaned up' and captioned.  I'll try to find some time soon.  Too bad I can't do it while driving, or while Ruth Powers is driving!  We haven't yet decided which way to go to eastern Kansas where Ruth lives, but the TV weather reports have pushed us in the direction of driving NE to I-80 and across Nebraska.  The weather on I-70 through the middel of Kansas is somewhat intimidating.  The tornado in SE Kansas yesterday did not do any damage in the vicinity of Ruth's house.

SAQA Conference - Denver 05-19-11

This is the view out our seventh floor window at the Comfort Inn in downtown Denver. Fortunately there is the width of about a three story building between here and there.  

 

We can look out and see the street below.  In the rain, of course.  Fortunately there is a pedestrian walkway on the second floor that gives us access to the Brown Palace Hotel where the meetings will take place tomorrow.  We don't have to go out in the rain. 

Looking out to the other side of the window we see this ancient building all hidden behind the skyscrapers.  I asked the parking valet where they parked our cars in the bowels of the motel and he told me that they are all in this building which was once a bus station.  Doesn't quite make sense - it looks more like an place where there once were ladies making clothing on high speed machines, back in the day.

Here is Ruth Powers' bed stacked with all the pillows in the room!  I always carry my own special pillow, so I just let her have all of them!  My bed is identical except for the pillows.  I drove out to the Denver Airport, about 20 -24 miles to pick Ruth up this morning and she came in right on time. It wasn't even raining, but it has been pretty much all afternoon and evening.

Here is Ruth at the Meet & Greet (or whatever name they use) this evening.   She just happened to be standing in front of her little quilt "Border Terrier" which is part of the traveling SAQA exhibit "What is a Quilt?"  You will notice that there are no names on the quilts, which I find very irritating.  I just think that if someone does all the work to make one of these little gems it should have a label acknowledging their effort.   I continue my campaign for the 21st Century to stamp out Anonymous was a Woman.

Groups of three or four would form and then be joined by a few others and then divide and go off to another area and reform.  It was fascinating watching this process of pooling and un-pooling.  Here are Jill Rumoshosky Werner, Judith Trager and Diane Munoz visiting.

 

Here is that dear lady Linda Colsh giving me a wave.  She lives in Belgium and comes home to the USA for SAQA (she is a board member), to see her family and to shop for things she can't find in Belgium.   There are several Linda Colsh quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection and, I'm sure, there will be more in the future.  She does wonderful work.  http://www.lindacolsh.com/

 

These conferences are so exciting, meeting people from the past and making new acquaintances, seeing interesting clothes and jewelry, hearing what new directions the artists are exploring.  But I get exhausted very easily any more.  There are NO chairs unless one goes to sit around vacant tables in the meeting room, so everyone is static.  There are these stairs, but only half the width can be occupied, while the other half is for people who want to go up and down.  So, I finally just gave up and came up to our room.  After a bit of a rest I started with my computer 'duties' and now it is late and I need to get into bed.  Soooo tired!