More quilts from Empty Spools 04-23-24

Not many tonight, I am still just sooo tired.  I did not take as many photos as I thought. I guess I was too busy answering questions and talking quilts. These two quilts were on the stage.

"A Rash of Flamingos"   Ruth B. McDowell  - Minnesota  2000

Using her unique piecing technique Ruth created this fabulous flock.  It seems to be the most popular quilt in TCQC.

Cotton fabric, thread, batting.  Machine pieced and quilted.  52"LX100"W

"Oregon Rain"  Pat Pauly - NY 2023

Printed using silk screen, rubbing, masking, scrappers, etc..

Machine pieced, machine quilted.  52"X104"

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Quilts at Empty Spools/Asilomar 04-22-24

I took about 30 quilts to show as Collector in Residence.  At the last minute before leaving home, I decided to add a few more very large pieces that would show well in the large space of Merrill Hall.  Some of the smaller quilts I changed out daily, including the 12"X12" bird quilts.  These are the pieces hung from the balcony at the back of Merrill Hall.   More tomorrow night.

     "Not Even Solomon" (Eucalyptus bloom)  Ruth de Vos  Australia  2009                   This is entirely machine pieced and quilted. 

L  to  R   "Through the Lens"  Marianne Burr - WA  2012  

"Copper Tree" Joan Colvin - WA   2003

"An Exaltation of Larks"  Mary Quinn  CO  2010

"Purple Reign"  Deb Cashatt   CA  2024  Machine pieced and quilted.

L to R   "Arnold Marathon"  Yvonne Porcella  CA  2006

"Getting My Ducks in a Row"  Pamela Allen  Canada 2005 

"Desert Nights"  Terry Grant   OR 2014

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After Empty Spools 04-21-24

It was a wonderful week, but I don't remember ever being so tired in all my life. My old body was not ready for all the packing/unpacking, lifting, hanging quilts, hiking  to/from the dining hall, and being "ON" most of the day.  Fortunately, everyone was willing to help.  I just needed to ask.  Everything went fairly smoothly, but needed more time to take down and bundle the quilts on Friday. Thanks to Suzanne, Star, Deborah, and many others I survived the week!  Decided I was unsafe behind the wheel to drive home on Friday, so stayed another night at Asilomar and came home on Saturday.  The drives, both up and back, were seven hours.  Going up there was extremely heavy traffic and heavy rain that lowered visibility so much I considered getting off the highway and waiting it out!   Coming home I decided to stick closer to the speed limit and see what mileage I could get - 23.5 mpg.  Not bad for a 19 year old car!

Here are just three  pictures.  More to come....

  

Suzanne Cox,  one of the three original owners and the only one still active.

Del and Nancy Ota's wonderful quilt "KoKo and Froggy" which she loaned for this exhibit.

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Quick Hello! 04-13-24

           Sorry for the lack of posting,  life  has just been too hectic.  And tonight I am  packing  up to drive  north tomorrow (in the rain!) for a week at Empty Spools at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA.  I won't  be  taking a class, but will be the "Collector in Residence" showing  quilts  from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.   The quilts  are all bundled and in the car,  but I have not packed my suitcase or organized laptop, meds, sewing machine w/projects. Woe is I!  This procrastination problem has gotten VERY serious!  I have been going to a personal trainer, but only for about three weeks.  I should have started at least last fall. But I am slightly stronger and have been promised help unloading and loading.  And I have already scheduled a massage mid-week with the gifted hands of Heidi.  I will be sewing in Merrill Hall and available to talk quilts most of the  day.   Have presentation tomorrow evening about 7pm to talk about the quilts  hanging in Merrill Hall and doing Show and Tell for more.  If you are a reader of my  blog stop by at Merrill Hall and say Hello. 

Rocks, Waves, and a Sailboat at Monterey Bay.

I will miss being in a crowded, busy classroom.  This is  Sea & Sand. 

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Newest quilt in Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 03-31-24

I am not a basketball fan, nor a fan of any sport, but the color, workwomanship, and movement in Deb's quilt are so wonderful I couldn't resist.

"Purple Reign"  2024   Deb Cashatt - California  50"W X 60"L

Cotton fabric, Machine pieced and quilted on domestic machine.

Her desgn technique is called Symbograph.

This is all machine piecing, every tiny piece!

And such even, close quilting. 

https://debcashatt.com

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Cindy Lohbeck on Dyeing for Surfside QGuild 03-25-24

If you are interested in dyeing fabric you would surely enjoy a class with Cindy Lohbeck of Dyehards Studios.   She started tie dyeing during the 70s - T-shirts Hippie style - and has continued to learn, invent, and design to become an amazing dye artist.   At our meeting she showed many variations and even gave a  quick demo of ombre dyeing. Her workshop the next day was  full up  and the students did some fabulous ice-dyed mandalas.  

This is a  little more than half of an ice dyed quilt back  by Cindy!  See the center in the round motif at top center.  I cannot  imagine how she folded and clamped this to create  such a pattern. 

  

Here is another large piece (in its entirety.  Here it is easier to see how she placed the folds and clamps.

This finished quilt was created with potato dextrin painted on the fabric and then dyed with indigo.  

Cindy shows one of her indigo shibori works.  She has taught herself how to work large. 

It was a very good presentation and workshop.  Cindy sells a great kit on her website and teaches online and around the country. 

www.dyehardstudio.com

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The park has reopened 03-22-24

Construction is complete on Parque de Arroyo Verde, the park we look into from our backyard.   It is now a "play"  park with many different physical activities, including six or seven climbing structures, a cement ping-pong table, a zip line, many metal benches, and cement tables w/benches attached.  The grand opening was yesterday afternoon (after  being rained out twice before) and it was a gorgeous sunshiny day.  KoKo and I walked about 5:30pm and walked all the way to the back, which is what we see from our house.  

The view from our backyard. 

And the view from the park.  Our house is the blue/grey one on the right.

Looking  back at the entrance on Palm Drive.  The white vertical poles at bottom right are the zipline supports.  On the left is another climbing  structure.

We will walk there again in the future, although KoKo is not impressed because there are no low bushes that he needs to water.

In a nostalgic vein....  Today was anniversary 50 for Floyd and I. And it has been 34 years since his death.  Time just slips away, doesn't it. 

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