Wordless Wednesday 07-09-15

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Mimosa trees in bloom 07-07-15

The mimosa trees are blooming again - right on schedule.

They are so beautiful, but messy, so best to plant them away from walks and driveways.

 

A few seed pods hanging on from last year.

 

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Monday Browsing 07-06-15

Kennel quilts for stressed cats:

http://weallsew.com/2015/06/13/help-our-animal-friends-in-times-of-need-by-doing-what-we-love/

Here is a technique I thought I had invented years ago until I learned it is a tailoring tip.

http://weallsew.com/2015/06/09/how-to-bury-your-thread-ends-on-a-quilting-project/

And another tip from www.weallsew.com

http://weallsew.com/2015/06/19/how-to-keep-thread-spools-from-tangling/
 

Here is the tutorial for fabric twine, again:

http://mypoppet.com.au/2014/04/scrapbusting-handmade-scrap-fabric-twine.html

 This fascinating idea has been around for a while.  Wouldn’t it be fun to have one at Visions Art Museum? Maybe we could locate a retired vending machine repairman. http://andthenwesetitonfire.blogspot.com/2015/06/smokin-art.html

 

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A birdy from SAQA Fiberlandia auction 07-05-15

Kristen holds a Master's degree in Avian Sciences and has worked as a Bird Banding Biologist.  She is particularly fond of corvids and has done quilts depicting crows and ravens.  This little black bird came about organically and was decorated by drawing free hand on the appliqued bird and then embroidering over the lines.  She has a little bird quilt in the SAQA online auction this fall. http://kristinshieldsart.com/bio/

 

"Fanciful Blackbird"  Kristin Shields - Bend, OR 2015 8"W x 6"L

Machine pieced, hand appliqued and embroidered, hand and machine quilted.

I love the background fabrics and the embroidered eye!

Kind of an "egg-y" fabric on the back, but no label.  Of course, the artists weren't told to put on a label and probably expected the little quilts would stay in the matting frame.  Each one has a label on the back of the mat.

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Squirrels 07-04-15

We have never had squirrels where we live in Placentia,  although other people do, but this year there have been three or four running along the fences and over in the park.  Oddly enough, there were at least six squirrels at Mary and Joe's in San Juan Bautista.  Whereas before I had only seen a couple now and then.  They are very brazen and busily chase off the birds and gobble their food. 

 

Here is one on the deck - he started running when I got close to the window to take a picture.

They drink from the bird bath right along with the birds and the deer.  Mary has to refill it in the morning and again at mid-day.  There are not many sources of water during the drought.

I'm surprised that the resident bobcat doesn't have squirrel for a meal.

This is the food she puts out for the jays, both Stellar and Scrub. 

 

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Quilt for the Visions Art Museum Challenge 07-03-15

The Challenge topic due this month is "At The Beach" and this is my entry.

"Moon at Sea"  Del Thomas 2015 14" x14"

Batik and printed cotton fabrics, cotton thread.  Fused, machine applique and quilting.

 

The  heavy machine quilting is done with Valdani variegated thread.

 

The Challenge quilts will be shone at Visions Art Museum from July18 through Oct 5 and they are for sale.

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Home Again 07-02-15

I drove home from San Juan Bautista today.  Due to the construction on I-5  I decided to drive Hwy 101, but I might as well have gone down I-5, because the traffic was horrendous.  I figured it would be bad tomorrow and Monday, but I was wrong.  I added almost two hours to my trip by stopping in Pacific Grove to visit Back  Porch Fabrics.  Such a jolt of color and texture, it made the trip home worthy.  With that stop I was on the road for almost ten hours and my legs are still twitching.  It was a gorgeous day to  drive down  the coast and the blue Pacific was especially blue today.  It was clear enough to see the Channel Islands off the coast.

Near Mussel Shoals

I believe this island is Santa Rosa, it is probably the same distance at sea as Catalina Island, which, contrary to the popular song is actually 28 miles away not 26 miles.  The structure on the left of the picture is an oil platform.

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