Back to Blogging 11-20-22

It has been over two months since my last post.  But I am going to try to post every day as I always have in the past.  Where have I been and what has kept me from writing?  Lots of different things; major computer problems, health problems, depression, lack of energy, and so forth!  On Oct 12th I received three epidurals for the sciatica.  The previous shots were Dec 2nd, they wore off toward the end of July and the pain kept getting worse.  I'm not very good at decision making these days, so it took me some time to take action and schedule more doctor's appointments, which seem almost impossible to confirm,   So far the shots have helped a lot, but I still have the "electric tingle" regularly.  Have schedule another round of physical therapy.  After months of dealing with UTIs the urologist scheduled a MRI and found a kidney stone which required "blasting".  I did that, but the stone is still there.  It doesn't hurt, so she is holding off to see if it will dissolve. Had to have a tooth pulled and am scheduled for an implant next month.  And right now I have a cold - the sneezing, coughing, aching, dripping kind.  So far I have managed to avoid Covid.    I suspect this is more than you wanted to know, but I needed to explain what has caused my silence.  I have added new quilts to the Collection and this is Sunday so I will post one of the new additions.  

"The Noisy Neighbor"  Sonia Grasvik - Seattle, WA  2022  12"X12"

Commercial cotton fabric, cotton and rayon thread.  Pieced, Appliqued, Machine Quilted

Beside the blackbird/crow the doodling machine quilting is fanastic.  She has quilted each square separately, or perhaps she quilted a large piece and cut it into squares.  Various colors and weights of thread create a intricate texture.  

This was part of the SAQA 2022 online auction in October.  

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Another Zena Thorpe quilt 09-17-22

 Zena does make quilts with a modern motif.  This one was at PIQF (Pacific International Quilt Festival -Santa Clara, CA)  in October 2021.

All hand applique and quilting.  

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More quilts in Long Beach 08-30-22

 

I went to the Long Beach show especially to see Zena Thorpe's quilts.  I have admired her beautiful, precise hand applique and quilting for many years.  

Zena has a definite English accent, but she lives in Chatsworth, California, on the north edge of Los Angeles. 

 

"Kells: Magnum Opus"  Hand appliqued and quilted.  This is the quilt that most quilters think of when when they hear the name Zena Thorpe, Master Quilter. 

I couldn't resist photographing the letters to spell my name!

More at a later date.  I'll get back to posting.

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Went to Quilts, Inc. show in Long Beach 08-29-22

The Quilt Festival was in Long Beach on August 4, 5, 6, for the first time since before the pandemic.   I wanted to go, but I just can't stand for very long (sciatica) and I don't have a lot of energy.  However, one of the special exhibits was Zena Thorpe and some of her quilts.  I have admired her work for many years at many different top notch shows and here was the chance to see her in person!  So, on Saturday (the last day) I drove to Long Beach in the afternoon thinking I could handle a couple hours.  No casual seating, but several staging areas for demos and talks with empty seats toward the back of the seating area - thank the goddess.  The exhibits were less than in the past and there were quite a few more antique quilts from various permanent collections, including that of Quilts, Inc.  There were other invitational exhibits but I only photographed a few.  Mostly I was up close and personal with Zena's wonderful hand appliqued and hand quilted works.  Amazing!  She was there and I followed as she spoke to a group of attendees about each quilt.  I said hello and told her I had admired her work for so many years.  She was gracious, but seemed a little tired.  I wasn't surprised after four days of being "ON" and talking to hundreds of people.  I was only there for a few hours and I wasn't on at all and I was exhausted by the time I arrived home again!  

I particularly wanted to see this quilt by Diane Hire that had been used on much of the advertising for the show, but even asking a number of workers I had a hard time finding it.  It was in the far corner facing a wall!  And was intended for attendees to take their pictures with it to show their friends that they had attended the show.  The professional pictures show it beautifully, but mine are not so successful.  A little washed out and I can't correct the color any more than this.

The surface of the quilt is not flat, but has "flanges" as some of the stripes.  They go the length of the quilt. 

On this picture I have marked two of the "flanges" between fuchsia lines, but can't figure out a way to make them show better.  Take my word for it!

Here is a close up.

My crazy computer won't let me post anymore pictures.  I'll try again tomorrow. 

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Pamela Allen quilt from Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 08-28-22

This quilt from Pamela Allen has graced my bathroom wall since the pandemic started in 2020.  It has so many small details that I can look at it every day, enjoying the little surprises she has worked into it.  Such an imagination she has and what a wonderful talent for designing and embellishing.   There are fifteen of her quilts in TCQC, from postcard size to several in the 40" to 50" range. 

 

The Haircut"  Pamela Allen - Ontario, Canada  2020  34.5"L X 28"W

Pieced, raw edge applique, turned applique, hand and machine quilting, embroidery, embellishments. 

Looking out the window at imaginative trees that are hand stitched.

Raggedy hair, hand stitched down, but still fluffy.  Pamela prints the eyes on fabric and sometimes uses different eyes like these.  A felt flower mouth!

Some of the quilting is by hand and some by machine.  The embellishments include these tiny clothespins with red beads, blue beads, garter belt clips, hair clips, tiny scissors, plastic curlers, tiny wooden spools, fishing spinners, and....

....this charming little hand (bone?  African?) holding another pair of scissors.  Again you can see the machine quilting and some of the raw edge applique with hand embroidered stitches.  

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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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Beach Views 08-26-22

I have received complaints!  Well, just a few.  But I have wondered if anyone is still reading this blog which I haven't posted since the 5th!  I will post for a few days and see if anyone comments or otherwise indicates they are checking in.

About a week ago I went to Dana Point for the Surfside QGuild board meeting.  It is about 10am until Noon and I need some sustenance before the hour plus drive home.  I swung through the nearby Starbucks,  parked in the first row handicap parking at Doheny Beach and watched the beach goers while I ate.  So interesting to see the loads of paraphernalia those beach lovers carried down to the sand.  Lots of surfers in the water and on the beach.  I know that there are teachers with student surfers, but also singles and pairs, families, old people and even a few dogs on leashes. 

  

There is a lifeguard station and just to the left a volleyball net.

The grassy area at lower left is marsh grass and a small pond.  Egrets flew in and out, but I wasn't fast enough with my cell phone to catch any of them.  The dark area at lower right is my sideview mirror. 

They have set up their umbrellas and even small tents, coolers, picnic baskets, and beach chairs.  The bird in the sky is a brown pelican. 

A guy (left) and a gal haul their surfboards down to the water. 

The sandy path goes down a little slope and then up again to the actual beach. The guy is loaded down with beach chairs strapped on his back and totes in either hand.  She carries the umbrella and has a tote bag in front of her.  Whew! 

I am parked in the shade under the eucalyptus trees and there is just a gentle breeze off the ocean.  Lovely day. 

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