Looking back ten years to May 2012 05-23-22

Late May 2012 I started a long trip to Kalispell, Montana, to take a workshop with Ruth McDowell.   I had driven up there sever years previously for the same purpose, but this time I picked up a friend from the east at the Las Vegas airport and we stopped many places along the way to the quilt shop in Kalispell.  It was a great trip through wide open country almost the entire way.  

First day on the road - I-15 north of Barstow where the north and south bound lanes are wide apart.  The desert sometimes seems unending. The smogless blue sky stretches from horizon to horizon.

Further north the highway winds through Virgin River Canyon.  Glimpses of the river deep in the shadows of these great grey walls. 

We stopped at Zion Nat'l Park, but it was blazing hot and we stayed in the air conditioned car.

 

Miles and miles of open country - meadows, mountains, piles of clouds. 

We spent some time driving around Butte, Montana, with old mining shafts and many explanatory signs about the gold and silver mining in the past. 

To be continued.............

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Quilt from TCQC - Karen Rips 05-22-22

 Revisiting a small quilt by Karen Rips originally posted 05-03-12

               

"Asilomar"  Karen Rips - Thousand Oaks, CA   2011 12" square

Hand-dyed and hand-printed cotton fabric, perle cotton thread. Machine quilted. Wool batting.

http://www.fiberartmusings.blogspot.com/

To create this gorgeous texture Karen used 100% wool felting for the batting. After stitching the front to the batting, she washed it in hot water to shrink it a lot. For a quilt this size, she started with a piece about 18 inches. She drew her inspiration from all the sea grasses growing on the grounds of Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA.

This piece is very flexible, which makes me wonder how a lap sized quilt would be to snuggle with on a wintery day. 

Her hand stitching and French Knots, along with the loose gauzy fabric sewn into the quilted lines, add more depth.  They give the feeling of the layers and layers of grasses.

 

Hand-dyed sateen on the back.

A minimal label, but it does have an e-mail contact.  

A busy week 05-20-22

I actually went out of the house three days in a row!!   Tuesday was the Surfside QGuild Board Meeting.  Sooo nice to see the ladies in person.  This is the first meeting of the newly elected board and most officers/chairs attended.  I wore a mask, but think I was the only one.  I took KoKo in his stroller because he was limping again (starting Sat evening) and the vet said to not let him jump, run, climb up on chairs, etc.  If I left him home alone for four hours he would be busy barking at every dog that went by and jumping up on chairs.  At the meeting he was a very good boy staying in the stroller without complaint and several ladies gave him a pat or two.   If I had let him down on the floor he would surely have climbed in everyone's lap, even if he was not invited.  At any rate he is on meds and seems to be his usual self now.   We have walked our loop twice a day for the last two days.  On Wednesday I did leave him home for not quite two hours while I had a tooth removed.  The periodontist tried everything to save it, but it was not to be.  Now I will have a temporary tooth for several months to prepare the area for an implant.  I felt lousy on Thursday and had to take lots of Tylenol and several naps, but much better today so KoKo and I could do errands and pick up a Starbuck's.  One of the errands was getting gas ($5.79/gal).   On Tuesday I was nearly on empty and had to stop in south county where I paid $6.009/gal.  First time ever at $6 or more.  Needless to say, I didn't fill up then.  Gas is always cheaper in north Orange County, have no idea why.  

Spring is almost over here, but still lots of blooms.  In some past year someone planted Mexican Primroses and now they come up everywhere in the neighborhood.  They are very pretty, but so very invasive.  Where they grow in the shade they are a brighter pink.  They grow in the shade, the sun, the dirt, the lawn, the flower beds, even in cracks in the street.  Even with weekly mowing they come up in the grass and start blooming.  Obviously these neighbors don't mow.  

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KoKo, again. 05-13-22

Today was haircut day.  For KoKo and for me and a trip through the car wash for our car. 

KoKo yesterday, about six weeks after his last haircut. 

KoKo tonight after a bath and a visit to Peter, the groomer.    He looks like about half the dog he was yesterday!  And he isn't a stinky dog now.  

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KoKo time again 05-11-22

Yes, it has gone beyond "indulged" and is straight up SPOILED"!  But I don't really have anything else to do, so I let him call the shots.  He is basically a good boy and listens when I tell him to do something.   Although we are working on "STAY" again lately.   He is smart enough to remember where the nut grass grows and not step off the sidewalk.  If he gets one of those little land mines in his foot he stops and holds it up off the ground to tell me he needs some help.  I can usually work the burr out of his fur, but have considered carrying scissors with me!  

  What a smart dog! 

I think this is his favorite position, laying on my legs with his feet at my feet and his head on my thighs.  All four feet in the air. 

When he is on his chair he frequently has Froggy support his chin.  Froggy is pretty ratty now, but I keep sewing up his wounds.  I was going to post a video showing how mean KoKo is to that poor frog, but I can't make it work.  Maybe later. 

 

He spens a lot of time washing Froggy or chewing on him. 

He has three beds now.  This is the smallest - he just fits. 

When he wants to sprawl he uses the larger bed.  He keeps a squeaky ball close by so it is handy if he gets tired of Froggy. 

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Surfside Quilters Guild meeting 05-10-22

A great meeting today in San Clemente.  Good attendance and six new members!  This was the meeting where we transition to the newly elected board and these ladies have it together.  New in many of the offices, still getting used to our new meeting place, and the church has redecorated the room, moving furniture and adding artwork since last month, the new "crew" made it work as if they have been doing this every month forever.   Congratulations to all.  Part of the transition is presenting the outgoing president with the quilt the members have made for her, including hand quilting.  The quilt is set up in a frame at several member's homes and everyone who wishes can go and hand quilt and gossip and have refreshments and lots of laughs.  I love doing it, but can no longer hand quilt due to my old worn out hands!!  

The theme for Mary Arter;s quilt is "California Dreamin'".  The dedication strip is a tradition with changing "scenes" and, of course, the name and date.  The finished size is about 50" X 50". The blocks are 5" finished and we could chose our background color and, naturally, the design - some are original, some traditional, and some are patterns.  I usually do a hat for my block and this time it is just below the "Quilters" in the dedication strip - right next to that great VW van!

Our Philanthropy group is very active and meets once a month to measure, cut, sew, plan, etc.  Last year I think we gave away about 600 quilts, pillowcase, placemats, and assorted other projects.  At each meeting we have a Philanthropy Parade of completed quilts.  Here are a few from today's meeting.  

This is almost a scrap quilt as there are at most three fabric repeats. Simple piecing, good color and about 60" X 70".

Of course I like this one, it is blue and yellow!

Don't know if this is a pattern or something the maker thought up.   

What a great fabric!  

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TCQC - Auction quilt - Canyon Quilters Challenge 05-08-22

I do enjoy a quilt auction and this past week I have participated in two.  SAQA' s Spotlight Auction was held in conjunction with their annual conference which was an online event this year.  The quilts up for auction were tiny - only 4" X 6", or the size of a postcard - but they are presented in a 8" X 10" mat and enclosed in a plastic sleeve.  I have purchased some at previous SAQA conferences, but I remove them from the sleeve/mat and usually have to finish the edge.  This time I was high bidder for four little quilts which I will show you after they arrive here.  The other auction was sponsored by Pokey Bolton and her Craft a Life website and benefited the World Central Kitchen which is providing meals in Ukraine.  These quilts were all different sizes and went for higher bids.  I won one by Jennifer Sampou which is a little different but has trees in it.  I bid high (I thought) for a lovely bouquet by Terry Grant, whose quilts I greatly admire, but at the last minute someone almost doubled the bid and will have that lovely quilt hanging on her wall.  Bummer.  

The quilt I am showing tonight was part of the Canyon Quilters of San Diego Challenge and Auction last fall.  The quilts went on to hang at Visions and were returned at the meeting last week when I was the speaker for the meeting.   Of course, another bird quilt - there wasn't a Toucan in the Collection before.  This one is 14" square.

"You Too Can" Judith Peters - San Diego  2021  14" X 14"

Cotton fabric, Machine pieced and quilted.

The Challenge fabric is in the bottom two corners and appliqued in several places.

The back is one of Kaffe Fassett's fabulous, colorful designs.

A hand lettered label which I can hardly read.  With magnifying glass I see it says:

"Canyon Quilt Challenge 2021

Judith Peters, San Diego, CA

My first Challenge"

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