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July 31

Greetings from the San Joaquin Valley in central CA. Wowee. It's HOT down here. 104 today. I love being able to see my folks and all, but I have to say I am looking forward to heading back home tomorrow!
My mother is a quilter extraordinaire and we always have a great time shopping for fabric and admiring her wonderful finished and in-progress works. She recently got lucky at a going out of business sale and brought home this spinning cabinet for less than $50

Don't know which I'm more envious of--the piece or everything that's in it!
I have a quilt up on the Moda BakeShop blog tonight. You may find an idea or two in it that you want to try. And if you feel inclined to make an ABC quilt yourself, please check my etsy shop and maybe decide to buy the letters precut. I have lots of color and pattern options available. And check on the right sidebar here (scroll all the way down)--I've created a gallery of ABC quilt ideas. :-) I also listed a few vintage fabric pieces on etsy that I don't imagine will last long.
Well, it's almost midnight. Caleb and I just got in from seeing the new Harry Potter movie. 500 mile drive home tomorrow. Thank goodness for my iPod and his DS!
Have a super weekend. jen

Final pics from the quilt show, plus a little miscellany

The miscellany comes from going too long between posts, but you already knew that!

The small quilts were in a small room. Not much to show. Here's a nice shot of the "Wearables" display.

  

Here's an interesting group of art quilts

 

This next group of four that I also showed you last month.

 

Each of four women made the pixelated rose, chopped it into quarters, and parceled out one piece to each other. Then they each sewed their four different quadrants together resulting in four different yet wonderful quilts. So clever!

Really, my favorite quilt in the whole room, my only reason for going in there, was to see this "Family Album" quilt again.

 

In case you're wondering, it was in that room because of the Group Quilts division. Brenda and Liz are the awesome mom and daughter owners of my fav local quilt shop. Liz did most of the work but her long distance sister added some as well, hence the "group" effort. It was a surprise for Brenda and her husband on their wedding anniversary. I think this is such a wonderful example of how these quilts *should* be done. I mostly see boxes on memory quilts...you know; 3 x 4 blocks for example. Everything from the NONblocked construction to the wonky set of the photos to the extra photos scattered around the border just makes this so alive and interesting. I'm saving it as a "how-to" for the next photo quilt I have in the works. Good job, girls!

This weekend John and I rode bikes down to Old Town for coffee and bagels. We sat at the window looking out on our bikes, and they just looked so cute (well, mine does anyway!) I had to take this picture

 

Then we rode down the street to my favorite fancy dress store. John's oldest daughter Amy is getting married in October. When you're not young and skinny you have to plan ahead for such events, so my hunt begins NOW. Her colors are brown and ivory so I had to snap this pic to show her

 

So I went inside to see my alltime favorite sales lady; Suzy. She's 73 years old and still wears 3 and 4 inch heels and hair and makeup and clothes always decked out to the nines. Every time I have an event to go to I shlep in there feeling all fat and old, and she always perked me up. AND helped me find something appropriate to wear. Last time I went in there, November of 07 I believe, I had fallen down a step at the church while helping with the dinner at Caleb's school that we always host a table at. OH I was in pain when I hobbled in to the dress store to find something to wear that night. Suzy offered me a valium. I said, "Lady, I don't know many people who would offer a veritable stranger drugs like that, and I know even fewer who would accept it, but hell yeah--I'll take it!" I always smile when I think of that. So this weekend I casually asked a salesgirl, "Suzy off today?" Come to find out she'd gone to the doctor with back pain last Fall. As they so often do, the doctor tried to poo-poo her concerns and just give her more valium or other pain pills. Told her to quit wearing the high heels. She persevered; "No. I'm telling you something is wrong with me." So they did an MRI (or whatever you call a body scan) and her entire being was riddled with the black spots of bone cancer. Makes me cry to type it. She did try one round of chemo but it just made her so godawful sick that she couldn't see the point in it. She passed away very soon after. Ignorance really is bliss sometimes. When I think how long I could've gone without looking for a new dress, all the while thinking Suzy was in there looking fabulous and helping others pick just the right outfit.

I'll end on a happier note. Yesterday Madison and I went to check out a new craft fair in neighboring Arcata. We ended up eating blackberry tart a la mode at 11:00 in the morning! Only with Grandma, right? She was SOOO digging on that sweetness. So I put my fork down to grab my camera (actually, my cell phone. Which as you can see takes awesome pictures! the new Palm Pre) and this is what she did

 

haha! Thought she could get it in twice as fast I guess. I was mortified to carry that filthy dirty doll around but of course she wouldn't dare let go of it. She left it here last night so I cut out the voice box, threw the doll in a bleach load and then dried it, put the voice box back inside, and voila! Just like new. When she came back this morning she didn't even notice the difference, but her mom and I sure do!

Later that day---

Had to come back and share this pic. Not only to show you how clean the doll got but good Lord, I just don't think she could be any cuter with her little ponytails and shorts! After lots of playing with the water hose and changing clothes today, we were taking our final walk around the block this evening before mama came to pick her up.

Photos from the Large Quilts room

  

Another beautiful day at the Redwood Acres fairground, during three days of quilty fun and beauty. :-)

I realize while sifting through these pictures, the artsier quilts are in the medium and small categories. Not so easy to keep it up in the Large quilts (which by definition are 250" around or larger).

Check these out for using your *scrap*.

 

wow! Here's some more 'approachable' scrap quilts you might like to try:

 

This year the guild honored its four remaining charter members with a sitting area to visit and admire some of the ladies' favorite quilts. They were called The Featured Quilters and I thought it was a nice homage.

 

Here's an amazing example of fine applique

 

And check out her quilting, too! Here's some really incredible quilting

 

This is done be Denise Witte, and I think the most amazing bit is that she does this while raising five kids! I want to make a quilt top that is worthy of Denise's machine quilting. At least one. :-) Here's the whole quilt (not her quilt, just her quilting). Someone must've taught a Bargello quilt class up here in the past two years because there were five or six quilts in this pattern entered in the show.

I liked her use of border fabric here, too. Speaking of border fabric, I really like this next one, and it also looks like quite an easy pattern for showing off favorite fabrics.

 

This next one was made from five vintage upholstery sample swatch books.

 

Great texture and visual interest. This next one needs no introduction:

 

It would be beautiful scrappy as well. Oh, speaking of scrappy. When one works as a White Glove Lady (you politely offer to show quilt backs, etc. so people don't touch them) you are given some "fun facts" cards to prompt conversations with the public. This next quilt that you may remember I bought at an estate sale a couple months ago apparently has 14,400 itty bitty pieces in it. All pieced by hand! (I hadn't done the math quite down to that degree)  :-)

 

I know a lot of quilters collect black and white fabrics...I like the way this lady actually used them.

And one final grouping of really nice work. (click to enlarge!)

 

 

I still have some pics from the Small Quilts, Group Quilts and Wearables room. I'll come back for a final quilt show post with those soon! 

A little break from the quilt show

God tossed me a little bone this morning...a reward for watching YoGabbaGabba just about every stinkin' day of my life. Leslie Hall, the crafty glittery queen, was a glittery dancing guest today. Gosh I love her. I'd recognize that eyeshadow and super-sized Bump-It anywhere! She's craftastic! Thought I'd capture the act on video to show you what you might be missing if you don't spend all your days with a toddler.

(your reward for watching the whole video, aside from enlightenment and a good laugh, will be to see Madison dancing at the end) :-)

"Medium size" quilts--REQG show round 2

I have a bunch o' great quilt pics taken in the 'medium room' yesterday. There was also a large quilt room and a third room with small quilts, group quilts and wearable art. Over 350 entries and some great vendors, too. Really makes for a nice event. I stayed for a while yesterday and helped break it all down. yikes...can't imagine doing it every year like I know many guilds do.

   

Many women these days are endeavoring to create ART in the world of quilting. It ain't yo' grandma's quilting anymore!

 

Cheryl Pekar took digital photos of our guild's opportunity quilt and ran them through a mosaic-creator software program, printed them on fabric and proceeded to craft this amazing quilt. There are 500 Swarovski crystals on it and she used a bleach discharge method for creating the border. She also made this next amazing quilt

 

Again, she took photos of the dragon fabric she was working with and digitally manipulated it for the circle centers. She also painted over doilies to create the orange circles. Really incredible work!

 

  

The free form, the quilting, the pearls and crystals (which are hard to see here) just really WOWed me on this one

 

Here's some that are all about the quilting. Most by machine, I believe.

 

 

Here's my selvage quilt. I didn't like where it was placed but as I walked around doing my White Glove Lady job I did notice it made a lot of people smile when they realized what it was.

  

  

 

This next one won viewer's choice award in the Medium quilt category

I know those leaves are raw edge applique, but I can't quite figure how she created the multiple fabric effect.

This next one is fun. All one inch squares...a pixelated effect that really works because she uses mostly flowered fabrics in the flowered mid section. The butterflies are also a nice touch. I think this one would be do-able for most quilters.

A couple more *approachable* pieces--

 

I love the 'paintchip' effect of the one on the right.

I did like where they put my abc quilt. It was the first thing one saw as they walked into the room. Hello happy!

 

This next one was a very sweet idea. The quilter had everyone in the family she could think of sign a scrap of white fabric, and then she sewed all the 'autographs' into the border. It was a gift to her mother for her 90th birthday.  

I'll close with a fabulous piece a la Freddy Moran & Gwen Marston.  The artist is Jody Rusconi and everything I've seen her do is awesome.

 

Hope you enjoyed these, and remembered you can click and enlarge any you want to see closer. I'll be back soon with shots from the Large quilt room. :-)

Quilt Show photos--Round 1

Hi all! Sorry I disappeared for a while. I'm beginning to think one can either have a life or write about life. Well, that goes for me anyway. It seems when I try to do both I end up feeling somewhat mediocre at both.  I've been either attending, shopping at, or volunteering at our bi-annual Quilt Show here since Friday. Today I took pics of a bed turning and will share them here.

 

There was a scheduled bed-turning every two hours. Two ladies hold up an antique quilt one at a time while a third lady talks about it (who, what, when, where) I took a photo of each and every quilt on this bed, thinking that even if it didn't do much for me, someone looking here may want to see it. :-)

 

These thumbnails are quite small to save space but you can click them to enlarge. Also, I took these with my cell phone, hence the somewhat grainy appearance.

 

Lovely crazy quilts on the top row. One of mostly velvets and one of mostly wools and linens. Almost always cut up old clothes. The dark and light log cabin (again, heavy wools) was considered especially unique because the *turkey red* backing was still so vibrant.

 

I think I want to make one each of the top two. The bottom two are of course very traditional "grandma made this" sort of quilts.

  

 

I almost didn't take a photo of the top right corner above but the lady who finished it did such a unique thing to it. Three different generations had gotten hold of it and done some work or additions to it. The final quilter added that fabric envelope in the corner, and inside it printed on fabric were photos and names and descriptions of the women who had worked on it. Great idea!

I have LOTS more photos so will edit them and post more starting tonight or maybe tomorrow. Til then!

July 10

How's THAT for a smart title? Sorry folks, it's all I've got! So, I got 19 things listed on ebay yesterday and it really took almost the whole day. Either I've lost my rhythm or it just really takes some time. Blech. It's much more fun to BUY there. I just cruised my memory card and found a little pictorial sequence to describe half of what I listed.

You know, when I went down to visit my folks a couple months ago I blabbed on and on about the AWESOME vintage quilt I bought at a FABULOUS estate sale. (More pics of that after next weekend--I've entered it in our Guild's quilt show). Well, they also had some AMAZING old dishware that I just could not leave. Packed it all up, paid for it, brought it all home. Now what? Here's my Grandma Mary's dishes that have been in our china cabinet for the 25 years since she left this earth, all the while saying they are for Erica my oldest *when she grows up*.

 

Luckily Erica replied that yes, she IS now grown up enough to take them so I packed them up and drove them to her in Monterey. Also in the cabinet were these yellow Depression dishes that my mother as a new bride got in the mid-1950's (apparently out of someone's garage because they were tired of having them around!)

 Now they too have been packed out of the china cabinet. (probably to sit in the garage until we are dead and gone, at which time some poor grandchild will be saddled with them, completely clueless as to their heritage or value). Here's the *instant collection* that filled the void.

 

They are really very cool dishes. And to find so many pieces in such FINE condition. I just really could not leave them! They are Iva-Lure by Crooksville in the Flamingo pattern. Not something I would necessarily have gone out looking for, but I really just could not leave them! Included in the group of dishware that I just COULD NOT leave were these by Universal Cambridge in the Woodvine pattern.

 

Sweet, right? I have most of them on ebay right now (along with a few other treasures) and the remainder will go up next week.

I have to show you this bag I had custom made from an etsy seller. Isn't etsy just the BEST?! Yes, I think so too. I got it in my mind that if I had just the right bag, I'd park my notebook (mini laptop), ipod, cell phone, camera, cords, yadayadayada, all in the same grab-and-go place. I'd have no choice but to be organized! Sounds so simple, right? So I went cruising through the bag listings. First I found one I really loved because of the combination of AMH fabrics (the *good folks* line). Then I found Judy at GypsyRoseHandbags who happily takes custom orders. I combined the two and VOILA! A most fabulous bag.

Of course I had to put one of my brooches on it. I wanted to do this 3.5 years ago, but was never good enough. (LOL! I just re=read that post. Not much has changed!) Believe me; just because one sews, doesn't a good bag-maker make!

 

That's my cute little computer in there. Judy will make as many or as few pockets as you like, and change the overall measurements just for your gadgets, too.

 

Both my mom and John said, "Why on earth are you paying someone to make you a purse?" Well, like I already stated above...

this level of bag making is best left to the professionals! She has some super ready-made bags listed as well. You really should check her out!

Not much new but some cute photos to share

I did a big ol' post this morning and then LOST IT! Typepad is doing a really strange thing for me lately...please let me know if you have any advice around it; after I've typed a bit and added a few photos, I may see where I need to correct spelling or add punctuation, I'll put my cursor at that spot and then allofasudden the cursor will start flashing wildly and the whole computer just locks UP. I have to control+alt+delete my way out of it and go back in and THANK GOD that it was auto saved. But today it did not auto save. :-(

let's see, where were we. WOOSH...another week full of grandkids just went by since last I posted. We had the pleasure of Kadence's company on Friday. We rarely get to see her, as she is kept pretty busy between her mom's house and her dad's house, so it's always a pleasure. The Wizard of Oz happened to be on (okay, I had it recorded) the morning she was here. And I just happened to know when "the good part" was coming so I ran and grabbed my camera.

I LOVE that part! When Dorothy opens the door to color. So magical. I remember when I was about five and my sister and I were watching it while our parents sat nearby and snoozed. It was probably on The Wonderful World of Disney, Sundays at 7. At one point my mom woke up and said, "Turn that off! You've seen it plenty of times already." Here I am, 45 years later, watching it every time it comes on.

It's usually touch and go when our two granddaughters get together. They're both used to being the ONLY cute girl in the room, plus they see each other so infrequently, but this day gave me hope :-)

We took Caleb and Madison to Old Town on the 4th of July. We worked our way down to the saltwater taffy store on the F Street dock and bought Madison some jelly beans

Which immediately threw her into gales of knee slapping belly laughs that were quite contagious!

We also went to the pool one day this week.

 

I somehow forgot to bring even one towel so the above funny face is half blue-lipped shivering and half discovering Rice Krispy treats. :-)

Yesterday we went to the zoo. Our zoo follows a pretty strict path, which dead ends at The Petting Zoo.

 

The big sheep and goats didn't bother Madison at all

 

but the monkeys freaked her out something fierce. I thought she was going to climb inside my skin! We may just bypass those cages for the next few visits.

 

This is how Caleb would spend as much time as we'd let him

 

Come to think of it; Sophie would spend as much time as allowed doing that, too!

A final shot of cuteness:

 

OH that curly tail just slays me! A couple three years ago I decided to buy a handmade softie or other special creation (shelf sitters) for each of my two granddaughters every Christmas. I got lucky and snared Ernst almost two years ago, but after that group of listings Jenn Docherty started selling on ebay (and I couldn't blamer her; those girls have more money for outbidding each other than I do!) and then she got pregnant with another sweet daughter. Well, good things come to those who wait. Just when I was starting to think I might never get another one (OH Darn! I'd have to keep Ernst for myself?!) she uploaded a new batch to ebay recently and I WON! I won the cutest one, too; Wilfred the Pig.

 

I *love* them. The girls may just have to wait til Christmas of 2010 before I giftwrap these. :-)

Well, I'm feeling lucky so I should hurry and post this. I ended up spending the better part of this day photographing and listing eight little girl outfits over on etsy if you'd like to check them out.

Tomorrow I plan to list some stuff on ebay and also come back here to share with you a FABULOUS bag an etsy seller made 'specially for me. :-) Fingers crossed!

Productive time in the studio--yay!

Tuesday morning Melissa called and said she was sick and not able to go to work that day. Visions of three days OFF (no kids plus John's out of town) drove Sophie and me straight out to the studio quicker than you can imagine! Most nights we had to feel our way in the dark back into the house. I just lose all sense of time when I'm left alone out there.  I have to show you how this dog spends much of her time out there with me

 

those little back legs poking out just kill me! Drumstick, anyone? :-)

I had definite ideas for what I wanted to get done. Quilt the blue zinger thanks to the sweet lady who loaned me her machine

 

I just stippled the blue bits and then did a few straight lines in the selvage diamonds. I won't bother you with pics of this again til it's hanging in the show next month. Just wanted you to see how doing the border like that really ate up my stash!

I really need to do a giant destashing of fabric and supplies out there. I came across some packs of precut iron-on flowers I'd made in the past and put together this pillow as a sample idea

 

I cut several fat quarters of vintage fabric I'm willing to part with too, but what I kept thinking about for the Flower Sugar fabric was little girl's clothing so that's kinda what I spent the next two days working on. Here's a couple of things I came up with--.

 

with matching headbands or barettes

 I'd like to sell them but first have to do proper photos and list them and all that. It's really too cold up here for my granddaughters to wear cute summer things.

Before I close this and start my day, I told my dad yesterday that I'd post a kid pic. Madison and I go wandering around the block 2 or 3 times a day and she has developed some have-to-do habits on these walks. One is to grab two big rocks from the back alley (one in each hand). A noticeable pile is beginning to develop over our back fence, as I always toss them back over once we come inside and she's put them down somewhere. Another thing she seems to always have to do is run to the streetsign at the corner and give it a big hug

 

As I was typing just now I remembered the story I told via a scrapbook page of  THE WALK Caleb and I used to go on. (select non-flash version to be able to read each page.) Maybe OCD runs in the family, but I've a feeling most little kids are like this. :-)

Have a happy Independence Day weekend!