Quiet life with KoKo and Froggy 04-27-22

I just don't have anything to say because I am not doing anything.  We go for our two walks a day (9am and 7pm) and we talk to neighbors sometimes, so there is a little human contact!  This week has been doctor week, visiting my primary and seeing the periodontist.  I am reading Katie Couric's memoir "Going There" (2021}  - because one of my Book Group members was passing it on.  I have never watched anything she has done that I can remember, I was never a Today follower.  It is interesting what goes on behind the scenes, but I find her a little too frank and very flip.  Since I don't watch TV anymore I have no idea what it is like now or what she is doing.  

KoKo is being the perfect dog, but keeps wanting to go see Donna where he stayed while I was at Empty Spools.  Maybe he wants to see the cat?  He is always interested in a cat, but has never made friends.  It is time for more major surgery on Froggy.  I am amazed that KoKo still is so attached to him.  I try other toys, he has a bunch, but he just goes to find Froggy. 

  

We did go to PetSmart to visit the Easter Bunny on April 9th.  KoKo seemed bored with it all.  The Easter Bunny was huge...... 

...and KoKo looked so small.  

All that is on my May calendar is Surfside QGuild on the second Tuesday and several more doctors to see.  They are all specialists - soon we will have a specialist for one's left arm and another for the right arm and one for the right eye and another for the left.  It is so time consuming and stressful. 

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Friday Food + Showing TCQC quilts 04-22-22

Breakfast at a restaurant always seems luxurious to me!  I don't understand why, maybe because my family never went out for that meal.  When my sister and I traveled by train in the late 40s from Portland, OR, to Los Angeles going to the dining car and having fresh squeezed orange juice  and silver covers on our plates was just too sophisticated for words.  When I was in San Diego this last  Monday/Tuesday I had breakfast at Farmer's Bottega with my friend Andrea.  We ate on their charming patio and the benedict was delicious along with tasty fresh fruit.   But it set me up for another visit to Toast in Brea on Thursday with friend Carol.  Their benedict is the best, this time with avocado.  I was much too busy eating to take pictures.

 

I was in San Diego to do a program for Canyon Quilters, showing quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection (TCQC).  It had been about three years since I did a program due to Covid and I worried that I wouldn't remember how to do it!  My friend Liz, who has helped me since I started doing presentations, is ill and unable to help.  I was really exhausted from getting the quilts down, "packaging" them for transporting, and then setting up at the meeting.  But the members pitched in to help and all went well.  I did remember how to do it!   I tried to take quilts that I didn't show when I visited the guild in June of 2014, but there are some that are just too interesting to leave out.  Ruth B. McDowell's "A Rash of Flamingos" came to me after the original owner died and her heirs contacted Ruth about it.  I feel so fortunate that I could add this treasure to the Collection.  It is a prime example of Ruth's masterful machine piecing and amazing eye for fabric selection.   One of the members took this picture of me in front of Flamingos. 

 

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Surfside Quilters Guild - San Clemente, CA 04-14-22

Although I belong to a number of different guilds I only go to Surfside Quilters Guild.  It is at least an hour's drive, but it is the only daytime guild around.  And, though I hate to accept it, I just don't enjoy driving at night so much anymore.  And it once was my favorite time to be on the road.  Anyway, the guild meeting  was Tuesday and it was also the annual business session.  We had a quorum (maybe 70 in attendance), so it went quickly because the officers in charge were so organized. I am the "official" photographer, which isn't an office, but just a volunteer thing I do.  I finally bought a new phone/camera and have been doing a little experimenting to see what new I need to learn.  Not much, thank the goddess, it is essentially a newer version of my old Samsung Galaxy, so the learning curve is gentle.  Although I am struggling with pictures. Nothing new about that. .  

Surfside's membership is about 170 now, but before Covid it was a little over 200 and we had a hundred plus members at meetings.  Our membership is generally older, I suppose because we have daytime meetings which eliminates many quilters who have day jobs.  Ten years ago when the guild was formed the main impetus was the increasing need to not drive at night as we were all ageing, but still quilting!!  

We do a "Block a month" project where everyone who wants to participate makes a the block from a pattern available at meetings.  At the end of the year each person puts their blocks together in their own layout and a drawing is held for prizes at the April meeting.  There were a lot of finished tops/quilts this year and it was fun to see the different colors and settings.  Here they are on the tables and few being held up for the audience to see. 

Block of the Month quilts on display.

Block of the Month quilts on display.

Our very efficient president, Mary Arter, accomplishes so much I doubt that she sleeps.  She did both of these using the monthly patterns.

Wendy McCalley's name was drawn for the $100 cash prize.   Love those blues! 

The co-chairs of the Block of the Month created their own versions.  

Holly Betz (left) and Judy Kamman (right).

Our speaker this month was Dora Cary, quilter, designer, and owner of Orange Dot Quilts shop in Paso Robles, CA.  Interesting lady, lovely quilts, and many ideas and patterns.  Her designs are sort of traditional with a twist.  

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Wordless Wednesday 04-13-22

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Empty Spools 2020 - Other things. 04-11-22

Three meals a day are provided for students and the food is usually quite good.  They do fabulous veggies, fresh from the local fields and cooked correctly.  There is also a large bowl of salad at the table for dinner - fresh and tasty.  On Wednesday night there is no evening program and some students go off campus for dinner.  Several of us went to one of my favorite Pacific Grove restaurants right on the border with Monterey.  Il Vecchio has the best Carbonara I have ever eaten and they also offer a side of steamed broccoli which is my favorite vegetable.  Delicious!  I don't even remember what anyone else ate, but we did share a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.  Four forks were flying!  It was excellent. 

Judy, Andrea, and I went to the Red House (another favorite spot) on Thursday night for their scrumptious hamburgers.  It is always difficult to decide which of my favorites to order, but this was definitely a hamburger night.  Never fails to satisfy. 

On Thursday immediately after class (4pm) all the classrooms are open for "walkabout" so students can visit all of the classrooms.  We enjoyed seeing  the work others were doing and contemplated what classes we might take in the future.

We especially appreciated Priscilla Bianchi, who is from Guatemala and uses fabric from her native country in her quilts.  Combining that fabric with commercial fabric her students were creating some fascinating designs. 

We were so taken with the vintage Japanese yukata fabric that Patricia Belyea was selling in her classroom that I didn't take pictures of her students' work.  However, I did buy some of the fabric.  I have followed Patricia for a few years and she has moved to Eastern Washington now and will open her online shop this month. Check out Okan Arts.  Her students were working with the yukata fabric and commercial fabric and sewing both curved and straight seams.  Interesting. 

We admired the projects in classes with Katie Pasquini Masopust, Susan Carlson, Velda Newman, and Marianne Williamson.  

It is expensive to attend Empty Spools, but all food and lodging are provided so there aren't extra costs involved, unless you choose to eat out or buy fabric!  Start saving up for next year's session. The 2023 schedule will be out in early May.  

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Empty Spools 2020 Continued

More troubles - with phone, with AOL, with sciatica, and KoKo has a lame front left leg!  He saw the vet yesterday morning and she thinks it is mild, perhaps a pulled muscle.  So, he is not allowed to run, jump, climb stairs, etc., and is taking Gabapentin with peanut butter.  Cheese only worked once!   He is much better already in just 34 hours.   As for my sciatica - it looks like I will have to do PTherapy again.  If I could only force myself to do it daily at home I'm sure it would be more effective.  

Here are pictures of some of the "big" projects done in Sue Benner's Abstraction class at Empty Spools.  No size or subject limits on these, but since our space was limited none were very large.  I have not worked on mine since I returned and Andrea has not worked on hers either.  I have done entirely too much sleeping this past week and a half, thus I barely keep up with KoKo and other necessities. 

Irma Lubb

Ann Moats

Jackie Seidell

Alison Lockwood

Annette Bracken

Ricki Selva

Judy Ousterhout

Del Thomas

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Empty Spools 2022 Continued 03-31-22

I have been so wiped out since returning from Empty Spools, mostly I have slept the days away.  In between naps I have gradually put some things away, edited my photos, taken care of KoKo, including two walks a day, and taken more naps.  I don't have Covid, so I guess it is just old age.  I haven't made it to the market, but will have to go tomorrow.  All I have left is some milk, some eggs (from my neighbor's chickens), and a few slices of bread.  Even the freezer is mostly empty!  

Sue Benner's class was very busy and she keeps the tempo up with assignments, slide shows, lectures and demos.  Our second assignment was to make six quilt "sandwiches" (backing, fusible, batting) either square or rectangular and I chose the 8" X 10" size.  Using the inspiration picture that we brought from home we were to make one realistic interpretation and five abstractions.  My inspiration was Angel's Trumpet Flowers and I found abstraction difficult. 

The original image is below my name, below that is a template I cut to use in some pieces.  The piece to the left is my realistic piece with yellow flowers. Below that is just a sort of outline in fabric, but there is something missing and I don't know what!  On top is one cut and fused with lace on the red backing - this will improve with quilting.  Below the lace one is a failure of three birds cut in the shape of the flowers which just doesn't work.  And, finally, on the far left is my REALLY abstract effort which everyone likes best!   The off kilter at lower left is the back of the sixth piece - I used this sale table banana fabric on the back of all the others.  

My tablemate, Andrea Bacal, brought a picture of a sort of garden gate with a wall, some potted plants, and an exit sign.  I think her abstractions are much more interesting.

Jackie Seidell sat behind me and started out with a picture taken in a fabric shop (India, maybe).  The photo is below her name and her realistic interpretation is to the right of her name.  At the bottom of the image are small pieces she made and rejected.  

Nancy Butterfield has her 1st project (12") on the left and her abstractions from a beach photo on the right.  

At the end of the class Irma Lubbe has all her work on her board. Lower right is the first 12" project, on the left the five 8"X10" abstractions with the small inspiration photo.  And her larger and final project on the top right.  

Colleen Babcock's 1st project on the right
is based on a picture of a bunch of people in round hats and a person who might be ill - I can't tell.  Her 2nd project on the left started with the image of the front of a train on a bridge.  

Elizabeth Littlefield brought a bright sunflower as her inspiration and did six abstractions using bright colors.  She also had a little sign posted on her board, "Keep it Simple".  Good reminder for this class.  

I hope I will have more energy and fewer naps tomorrow and will post more images from the class.  We went on to do a larger project, size and subject of our choice.  With the limited space in class my piece is only about 22".  

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