QUILT BY FAITH

Quick Pics

2012-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

We've moved on to ductwork, electrical, and lighting. yay!

I sent off another card last week. I had a lot of fun with the trim. Did I post this one yet? I don't remember.

This one was supposed to be icy, but it looks more bridal. oops. And it did say "Happy Birthday," until I added the ribbon. Now it says "Happy Gwen" to the casual observer. Either way, it works. :)

And I finished another UFO baby quilt. On to the shower in an hour. I'll probably gift a different quilt, as I coughed while making this one and haven't had the time to wash it. oh well. Goals are good, even if then aren't always met.

After the shower, I'm off to the Bakersfield Quilt Show. So much to do, so little time!!

This Week I

2012-01-26T21:18:00.001-08:00

guess I baked apricot nut bread and took a picture. I'd forgotten that I'd baked anything.

I basted two more quilts, and have quilted one of them. I'm in the process of stitching down the binding. It's another UFO baby quilt.

I took multiple naps.

And tonight I caught three kitties napping. From L to R are Hecate, Charlie and Edgar. Hecate and Charlie are watching the police cat (a black & white neutered tom) try to jump the fence. It's getting tough for him, as he's gained at least 5 lbs since his surgery. There's probably a pool guessing which day he completely fails to clear the fence in one try. The day is getting close.

I've also been out to the walnuts, where they are now wiring the electrical. The siding is up, the attic ladders are installed, the next thing you know it will be insulation and sheet rock. It's a beautiful thing.

Today I

2012-01-23T21:13:00.000-08:00

finished a quilt for hire.

Basted another quilt for hire.

And really wished I'd had my camera along when I spotted the sun gleaming on the new fallen snow in the Sierras. Spectacular!

Best Laid Plans

2012-01-23T09:08:00.001-08:00

I had grand plans to drive down to Road to CA on Sunday, see the show, visit with friends, and pick up my quilt. That didn't happen. Instead, I'm sticking close to home, with some bronchitis and possible pneumonia. What a drag. Literally. ;)

I went by the walnuts, to see the progress. Five days absence from the project means a lot of siding has gone up. This is the view of the south side. Behind the window is a 3rd car bay, for tinkering or storage. The garage door is a drive-through, from the front of the property to the backyard.

This is the west side of the garage building. Grant and his brother were challenged with trying to get the siding around the lip of the overhang. Not a lot of fun, but very well done. :)

This is a view of the northwest corner of the garage building and breezeway. The door goes into a room with heating/cooling, where the boys want to put some exercise equipment.

You've seen this view of the northwest corner of the workshop before. Other than all of the siding in place, it doesn't look much different.

This is the north side of the garage. They still have some siding to install.

Oh, and look at that. The east side of the garage really needs some siding.

We walked through the structure, with Mr. Cat leading the way.

A boy and the dog followed.

There. Good enough?

Apparently Mr. Cat is a photo-phobe, as I snapped this just before he took a swipe at me with his left hook. Enough of the paparazzi already, enough!!

On the quilt front, I'm in the middle of a quilt-for-hire. Let's hope I kick this bug quickly, as I've got a LOT that I'd like to finish in the coming week.

A Single Card

2012-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

I made this last week, and left it out to be mailed. When I got home, it was still on the piano. I mailed it yesterday. Hopefully it arrives before the recipient sees this.

I had a lot of fun with the fuzzy couching. There are also a ribbon, beads and a vintage yellow button.

On tap for today: gotta finish the latest quilt-for-hire. I am a week behind on my goal. boo.

Mother's Garden

2012-01-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

After a dozen years of her absence.

On The Road Again...

2012-01-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

This time I'm south, rather than north and west. It's just about time for Road to CA to open, and I'm helping with a bit of the pre-show busy work. I'll be back home, lickety split, then back to see the show on Sunday. zoom, zoom.

The sun rose as I flew over the Grapevine. Strange to have clear skies in the valley and clouds over LA. (clicking on a picture enlarges it. This one shows gorgeous rays of sunlight, streaming down to the city below.)

When I left yesterday, my lovely icicle was returned to my hot little hands. Hello, my Lovely! I haven't seen you in AGES!! You're looking better than I remembered! Then again, I never even looked at it. I put in the last stitch, shoved it in a box and shipped it away 14 months ago. It's nice to have you home, Baby, even if "home" is a hotel room this evening.

Blogger flipped the picture, but I wanted to show the crystal dew drop at the point, and the fuzzy icy hoar frost on the edges.

The close-up got flipped too. Mr. DeMille, next time do a better job, please.

The icicle had to be two sided. Did you ever see the sleeve I made for it? I thought the lace was a lovely touch. I didn't put many beads or crystals on this side. I ran out of time.

And I guess that's about it. I need to report for duty in 25 minutes. Have a fantastic week, and if you can fit Ontario, CA and the Road show into your schedule, it's always worth a look-see. :)

Fancy Cat

2012-01-15T13:43:00.001-08:00

Edgar's winter mane has returned.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful..."

Lots of Work To Do

2012-01-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

And look who is helping.

She's not helping me, she's helping her man. He was digging holes, she was right beside him.

While they were working in the backyard, the farmers were working in the orchard. Once the blower had cleared the leaves from the berms, the tractor came by to crunch the leaves.

Since we haven't had any rain, the leaves are still completely intact instead of nicely composting.

Once the flail mower (I think that's what it was) had been through, it looked like this. So nice. So clean. So orderly.

The work on the remodel continues as well. Board by board, piece by piece. Unfortunately they burned out the bearings in their favorite saw this morning, so it came to a stand still for a bit.

And then there's the design wall. No designing going on in there, whatsoever. It's more like a holding pen, in a holding pattern. So much for this week's goals. Ah well, there's still Saturday, right? Right!

No Quilting

2012-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

At least the contractor is getting things done.

I took a couple of friends out to look at the remodel after guild. Chalupa was happy to see them. I took several pictures, this is the best. She wasn't in the mood to model. :)

And that's it for today. Hopefully I'll have something to do with fabric tomorrow...

No Quilting Today..

2012-01-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

Instead, I had a BOTV meeting and a dentist appointment.

Afterwards, I swung by the walnuts and found progress.

This is the first wall of siding. The contractor thinks he can have all of the siding up on this portion of the building by tomorrow afternoon. Goals are good!

And we have a front door!! Yay!! It's looking better every day, don't you think?

Tomorrow is guild, and HOPEFULLY some quilting. Goals are good!!

Work, Work, Work

2012-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Work progresses on the remodel. See the wood frame on the edge of the house and around the windows? Soon we will have siding. yay!

This is the first quiltlet I've finished in 2012. It has a turquoise hummingbird in the bottom right corner.

"Thinking of you" is the second. If you look closely, I've beaded the centers of the poppies with green and purple beads. Some of the black-eyed Susans have sequin/bead centers.

And I've finished #35 on my UFO list, my second completed quilt (bound and everything!) of 2012. yay!! I'm feeling productive this week.

I was going to work on a quilt-for-hire today, but that didn't happen. Tomorrow is another day, and I'll be at it by noon. No excuses.

New Things

2012-01-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

"Behold, I am making all things new." Revelation 21:5

Each day I visit the walnuts, the progress is visible. I'm loving it!!

Thimble Towne remodeled as well. This was taken from the "backside" of the store, looking towards the door. ooh, aah, look at all the goodies.

I came in on Saturday, without the time to shop. That was good for my pocketbook, as the entire wall is batiks. (What do you think of the test paint? I call it Jeremy Green.)

yep. Look at those batiks. I collect batiks. I don't know that I've ever used more than one or two in a quilt, but I have shelves full of them in my Studio.

At home, hubby has a new work truck. He hasn't driven it yet, other than the test drive. Number One Son and I went to Turlock on Saturday, to retrieve it.

And at home? I am sticking with my somewhat goal for 2012. One week down, one quilt-for-hire finished. One week down, one UFO finished. The second UFO (another baby quilt) is so far along that I am tacking down binding. The second quilt-for-hire? It's on my table, waiting for attention. I still have 5 days left this week to finish it, to meet my "1 quilt-for-hire/week" attempt for 2012.

Goals are GRrrrrrrrEAT!

Happy New Year!

(I hope to have quilting pictures tomorrow.)

Enjoying the Day

2012-01-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

The work is once again progressing at the remodel. Filling in that last bit up top makes a huge difference. Hopefully this will be finished by the end of the month. Or the first week of February. Or the second...

At home, Malcolm seems to have decided that he's too old to share any more. MINE. All mine.

Maybe he's afraid it's going to end up in the opossum trap tonight? Don't worry, Malcolm. I won't forget to feed you.

On the quilting front, I've done a bit of machine and a bit of hand quilting. But nothing worth taking a picture of, yet. Onward and upward!

Snowflakes...

2012-01-04T08:09:00.001-08:00

I belong to an online postcard exchange group that has its own blog. This morning, after I posted, I saw that today's Postmark'd Art post includes one of my snowflake postcards in its slideshow. Enjoy!

Glorious Sunshine

2012-01-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's weather was spectacular. The sun came out first thing. There was no fog or haze in our neighborhood, and it actually got warm, in the low 60's. Without the chill breeze, it was glorious.

I'd made an appointment for the gardener to plant flowers for me (I would plant 1/4 as many, in 4x the time), so a trip to purchase them was in order. When I came out to the car, not only did I have pansies, a few snaps, and some roses,

I also had a couple of flamingos. I couldn't resist. They add a lot, don't you think? (If you don't care for them, well, they are in the backyard, poolside. I will not subject the general public to their presence.)

Instead of doing any quilting, other than making labels, I spent the sun-filled hours in the yard, cleaning up irises, tossing dead foliage, and generally doing a deep spruce. (It's sprucing the yard, not cleaning, right?) I was surprised to see the first narcissus of the season. I don't know if you recall, but for the past several years, these have been making their appearance in November. It's January, Mr. Narcissus. I do believe you are LATE.

Better late than never!

When Edgar saw me with the camera, he thought he would be a much better subject. "See my mane?"

"There's the flower, try and snap it!"

Ahh...roses! Good for a good scratch and a bit of grooming!

Today's goal: get back into the Studio, and BE PRODUCTIVE! The weather is cooperating, and I see fog, not sunshine. toodles!

Last Night I Caught

2012-01-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

Charlie.

Silly Charlie. You went after the food, thinking it was more awesome than what I feed you. Were you wrong? You didn't eat a bite!

Thank you for the great responses to my goal setting post yesterday. Today I was listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio, and he was talking about effective goal setting. He mentioned five key components of effective goal setting.

The first was to Be Specific. "Don't just say, 'I want to lose weight,' say how much, exactly."

The second was that the goal needs to be measurable. "I want to finish 3 quilts."

Third is that you have to own it. You can't say, "My mom wants me to..." and then call it a goal. That's your mom's goal. What's yours?

Fourth is to set a time frame. "I want to finish 3 quilts by February." You have a specific, measurable goal, it's yours, and you have a deadline. (Haven't I always said that deadlines are my best friend? The best way for me to get a quilt finished is to have a deadline.)

And finally, put it in writing. That sets it in your mind, once you've put it on paper.

Can you believe it? He hit all 5 of my key points to goal setting in 5 minutes! It took me 45 years to figure it out!! I think the year that I did my own 12 Step Program (setting a goal each month to get one step further along on a UFO, not to necessarily COMPLETE anything...) was the year that it really hit home. Concrete measurable goals with a time limit. perfect.

So, what was my first quilt goal for 2012? "Finish the baby quilt for my husband's friend's grandson by Wednesday." Today is Monday, tomorrow I will be making the label.

What do you think? Are goals good or what?! :)

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

First off, no, I did not catch the opossum. He actually returned a second time, within 30 minutes. arg!! I had my husband move his car so I could retrieve the humane trap from the attic. I set it up, but no luck. I almost caught one of my cats, but she thought better of it in the long run. Good choice, Hecate!

Today is the Day of Lists. Isn't it for everyone, in one way or another?

My son asked if I'm making any "resolutions." I told him that no, I'd rather set goals. I set goals I can accomplish, so my first one is to lose 3 pounds. I need to lose much more than that, but 3 sounds realistic. Once I hit and maintain that loss, I can set a new goal. Sound good? Sounds good to me, even looks good in print. Let's see if I can do anything about it in reality.

So anyway, I have compiled two lists, as I do on every January 1. First is the list of quilts completed in the previous year. Here goes:

Penguin Parade
“Ice” SAQA “This is a Quilt” entry
Sharon Schlotzhauer Iris Quilt for SJ
“The Flower Fades”
“Passion” SAQA auction donation quilt – purchased by Karey Bresenhen
“Glacier Ice”
“No Time For Tradition” - 2011 Hoffman Challenge
Airplanes Baby Quilt
oversize underwater fishes baby quilt

I also completed 34 quilted cards, which felt like next to nothing.

The second list is my UFO Challenge List. Now this is a list that I'd prefer to see shrink, rather than grow.

This year's list has 36 items on it. Last year's list had 37. A small victory. Happily I am down from my previous high, which hovered around the mid-40's for years, so I AM making progress.

Rather than make you read my entire list, I'll give you the Top Ten.

Rose Window Grad Q for Andrew
Pastel Lone Star for Penelope
Coxcomb for Allison&Jeff
Splashing in the River of Joy
Charlie in Color and Black and White
Flying Penguins
Blue&Gold Log Cabin (quilt, bind)
Yellow Floral Bed Quilt
Turquoise Tropical Medley
Bright/Black Feather Star

The top ten are the ten I would most like to see completed. They are not necessarily the ones that will be given priority treatment. I know for a fact that #36 will be the first thing I complete, as that baby is already here, and his quilt has been basted for weeks. *sigh*

Perhaps I should add "get organized" to my Goals for 2012 list? Getting/staying organized is a daily struggle and a life long goal, so I doubt that putting it "officially" on my list would make much difference.

And there you go. Have you put together a list for 2012?

I do recommend listing your UFO's. It can be disheartening, as you unearth one after another after another, but the payoff of having the length of the list reduced over the course of the years is an encouragement to persevere.

In 2006, I had 46 UFOs on my list.
In 2007, I had 44.
In 2008, I had 33. (I only listed quilts I thought I might work on, not all of them.) I finished 15 quilts, and made 40 cards.
In 2009, I had 40. I finished 12 quilts and made 35 cards.
In 2010, I had 44. I finished 15 quilts and made 40 cards.
In 2011, it was 37. I finished 9 quilts and made 34 cards.
For 2012, it is 36.

And for January 1, I have a baby quilt to quilt and bind, 4 cards to work on and 3 quilts-for-hire just waiting for my attention.

Busy, busy, busy! Let's get at it! Welcome, 2012!!!

P.S. I just realized that I have an iris challenge and the Hoffman Challenge that I may or may not be completing this year. Kick that up 2, I guess I'm up to 38 for 2012...
P.S.S. And then there's the SAQA Auction. I might be doing a quilt for that as well...Do I hear 39?

I think I'd better sign off, before I remember any more projects that should be added to the list...

Out With the Old..

2011-12-31T21:11:00.000-08:00

Really? Really?!!

I'm sitting here, FINALLY catching up on my blog reading, and I hear a clumsy cat. I turn and look out the window, thinking "Which cat is this?" After all, there is a passle (are a passle?) of moochers who show up to chow down with regularity.

But no. It's not a cat. It's a...you know what it is, don't you? I was floored. I thought we were done with this, but apparently the opossum is back. At least I hope it is just one. Now I know why the food dishes are COMPLETELY empty every morning. I didn't think it was THAT cold to warrant that kind of consumption.

Well, I can't track back and find the posts about the previous possums...we had one week when I caught three on my porch. ugh. Use a humane trap, and call animal control. They do the rest, which is relocate and release them. I'm sure the folks in the country just love that! Me? I live in the city and I was here first!

That's right, you creepy critter! Run away!! He's right at the curve of the lawn. If you really want to see him, click on the picture to enlarge.

So anyway, I was sitting here thinking about 2012. All I think about when I think of 2012 is April 13-15, and all that leads up to it. That, my friends, is the Best of the Valley Quilt Show. Mark your calendars now, as it's going to be a good one.

Download the entry form and guidelines, and submit your quilt(s). Call your guild and suggest a bus trip - we'll give you a group discount for 10 or more...

What? Pictures? You weren't looking for business?

I took a few pictures of parts of my design wall. There is plenty to do, perhaps in 2012?

The white is the beginning of a quilted card (5" x 7").

Here are three more white quilted cards in progress. They have been pieced with leftovers from some of my icicle quilts. The bear card in the upper right needs help. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about/with him.

This last frame shows a red "Passionate" quilt that I'm making for myself. I loved the "Passion" quilt I donated to SAQA, I've been working on one for me, since last March. The two pieces below - the brown woven and the green/tan strips - were two of the projects from my class with Jeanette DeNicolis Meyer. One of these days I may finish one or both of them.

So, speaking of finishing. I guess it's time for me to add up my 2012 UFO list. Let's see how long it takes me to assemble and post it. One serious goal I have for the new year is to get back on a regular posting schedule. Travel has taken its toll, and I'm not sure I'm ever going to get back on track. But I've set a goal, and we all know that "Goals are good!"

Hope to "see" you tomorrow. Happy New Year!!

Beaded Flowers

2011-12-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

Back in July, when we were in Anacortes, WA (for a wedding), my husband and I wandered through some antique malls. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just looking.

Lo and behold, I saw this meager bunch of beaded flowers, locked in a case, for $39.95. Hey! We used to make beaded flowers! When we were in high school, my sisters and I spent afternoons stringing and twisting and trying to out-do one another's creations.

I took this picture, and sent it to the girls, never expecting what would follow. "Hey! Are you interested in the beaded flowers?" Say what? I loved those things. I was addicted to those things. I think that the only reason I stopped making them was because I'd made every flower in the book...and I'd gone off to college.

A few weeks before Christmas, this bedraggled bunch of posies arrived on my doorstep. They are bent and dusty, but nothing that a little TLC won't work wonders for.

I washed and dismantled one before Christmas. Last night I cut a new stem, brought out the new florist tape, and reassembled. Isn't she pretty?

Once I saw the results, I was hooked. Three (or four?) more flowers have been dismantled and washed. Today I will reassemble them. I have to do them in small groups, as I would never remember which leaves belong to which flowers.

And you thought my attraction to beads was something new. Fooled you!! :) hahahaha!!

Life Speeds By...

2011-12-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, hard to believe. I wasn't really ready, but it came anyway. One of the most popular items at our house was one that was eagerly torn into. It was a mad race to see who could be armed first.

Let the fun begin!

It was every man for himself, and every man had a blast...and a blaster. :)

No, no! You're not supposed to shoot the mama!! (see the green ball in midflight, in front of dad's nose?)

bam bam bam!! Too much fun... And yes, those are rabbit ears in the background. We do not have cable. ;)

On Monday, I went to San Mateo, to meet up with some friends from our UCD freshman dorm. Meet Laura, Jane, me, Gale, Philomena, and Sanah. Yes, I'm the one in the hat. My dad gave it to me for Christmas, and my husband complimented me on it about 6 times over the course of the day. I figured that I'd get an honest review from my friends, which indeed, was favorable, after they stopped laughing, of course.

Laura lives near The Fish Market, where we met for dinner. If Candlestick goes dark again, maybe she can help us figure it out? ;)

On Tuesday, I stopped by for a babysitting gig with Miss Penelope. She was happy to see me, as Gramma makes a good jungle gym.

She seems to like the ball that we gave her for Christmas.

And she really likes taking off her socks. Does she look tired to you? She looks tired to me...

Penelope, let's take a nap. You close your eyes like this...

*yawn* close your eyes

If I blow kisses at you, will you stop laughing?

I suppose I should just give it up, this girl does NOT want to sleep.

I gave up, and then got her to sleep for two whole hours. Ah, Penelope, it's so good to see you!!

And now I'm home for a few weeks, where the mess seems endless. I have my work cut out for me. Hopefully, hopefully, it will include some quilting!

Odd and Ends

2011-12-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Both structures now have a roof. The construction is on pause, as my contractor spends the holidays with his family. I'm so proud of him. I would have felt bad if he continued to work 12-15 hours a day out here when his wife and kids prepare for Christmas.

I did some shopping at the Dickens Faire. Not only did I enjoy roasted chestnuts, I found a bead vendor. I'd forgotten about her, but once I saw her, I remembered. I found her last year too. You are looking at green glass, small sea urchin spines, shell pieces, and a bag of miniature colored jingle bells.

This is the only Christmas quiltlet I've made this year. It looks like it's going to be one of only two, as I spent too much time gallivanting around the globe and not enough time sewing.

May God bless you with a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

"The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered." Proverbs 11:25

Can You Help My Friend?

2011-12-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

Remember early November? When I went to Houston? It was an amazing fantastic incredible experience. I spent the days with my friend Sharon Schlotzhauer. We roomed together, we went through the show together, we had a wonderful time.

And then something happened. When the show ended on November 6, all was well. But on November 7, Sharon's "Really 'Wild' Flowers! Season Two!" quilt went missing. Calls have gone out near and far for the discovery and return of the quilt. No one knows where it is or what happened to it.

I took this picture of Sharon and her now missing quilt at the awards ceremony, shortly after it was announced that she'd won first place.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of her quilt, or any suggestions of how to go about finding it, we're all ears. You can contact her or leave a comment on this blog or email me. I'll make sure to pass along any information.

Thank you for your help!

Christmas is Coming?!!

2011-12-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we went to the Dickens Faire in SF at the Cow Palace. I met up with Christmas Present. I absolutely must make a costume like this for my son. He could rock it...without the lipstick!! :)

I got the tree up. Instead of using any of my usual decorations, I was so late that I confined my selection to those made by my husband's grandmother. Our tree has never been small enough to look full with just these. It needs a bit more sparkle, but a visit to Hobby Lobby in the next day or two should take care of that.

See the ornaments? Gram made them all, years ago. They would be vintage family heirlooms, doncha know? :)

Charlie approves.

So does Edgar.

On Monday, our art group, Sew Eclectic got together for a marvelous Christmas party at Pat's Place.

My gift was to give them some scissors and let them loose on a bin of fancy yarns.

I think they liked it...

On Thursday, the Itty Bitties got together for our usual breakfast. Our group is the increasingly shrinking very appropriately named itty bitty friendship group. Still, good friends, good company...it's all good!

And there you go. If you've wondered what I've been up to, I've been go, go, go, not preparing in the least bit for Christmas. I haven't sewn a stitch, or shopped. But I've been to Tahiti and overseen some construction and gone to parties and visited with family. All in all, not a bad way to spend a month...and we've still got Christmas to look forward to!

P.S. Did I mention that Sew Eclectic is in the middle of a gallery show and sale at Artisans in Hanford? Stop by if you have some Christmas shopping to do. You might find just the perfect gift for someone...or for you!!

A Visit With Penelope

2011-12-19T16:46:00.001-08:00

We spent a few hours this weekend with our favorite grandbaby and her parents. :) Around the table we've got Penny, Gramma, Grandpa, Kistler Uncle #1, Daddy and Mama. :)

Here's a close-up of our little missy. Isn't she a cute little thing?

This is my daughter. I am envious of her December blue skies and blooming California poppies. Seriously? It's DECEMBER. Who has poppies blooming in December? Apparently the folks in San Carlos do...

What?

As soon as I pulled out the camera to get the shot of her foot, she moved it.

Grandpa did a lot of bonding.

"His cheeks just beg to be pinched!"

Nice pair...no resemblance. :)

Grandpa declares, "Babies are SO much work!" Yet he didn't change a diaper or clothing or feed her or give her a bath...all he did was play with her. :)

Do you see who's the center of attention? Every male eye is on the girl. From left to right: Grandpa, friend, friend, Daddy, Kistler Uncle #1, friend, and in front (back of head) Kistler Uncle #2.

"I love my Daddy!"

"And for dinner, I think I will have...."

Num!

"Haha! Gotcha K-Uncle #2!"

"Oh no you don't!"

teeheehee...babies are so much fun!!!

Construction Goes on Hiatus

2011-12-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

The construction continues at breakneck speed, although they will be taking a holiday break. The new roof is on main house, the roof was installed on the annex on Saturday. I'm on my way over to check it out shortly.

This is the main parking area of the garage. There is one regular parking bay, and one with a drive-through to the back of the property.

I've got my back to the previous picture. Here you can see the third bay, and a front work/storage area that will have a shop sink and water heater. The back room on the right, will be the workout room. or whatever.

We had to saw off the porch/overhang when the old building came down. Our contractor did an excellent job making the new transition, don't you think?

When you drive up, you see the garage in front of you, and the breezeway to the right.

Inside the workshop will be a full bathroom, with shower, toilet and utility sink.

There will be central air in the workout room and the workshop. Here is Grant, taking the holder up the ladder,

And onto the roof. He looks like he's done this before.

And finally, this was how it looked at 4pm on Friday. I hear that we've now got a full roof and all windows installed. I am so looking forward to checking it out! yay!!

More Tahiti Pics

2011-12-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wondered where the rainbow ends, it ends on Moorea.

It touches down on the land...

And into Cook's Bay.

Sundown in Bora Bora is spectacular.

I believe this is Bora Bora in the daytime.

This is our approach to Bora Bora.

Random red tree. I believe it was a Chinese something-or-other...

Close-up of the blooms.

There were no ugly sunsets.

Even looming storm clouds were beautiful.

Random hibiscus.

Would have been a perfect picture, if not for the edge of the canoe and the hand encroaching on the left side of my image.

Possibly Raiatea.

Cruising our way to our next island destination.

Palm trees along the river running through Raiatea.

Raiatea claims they have "the sexiest peaks of Tahiti." hmmm
And yes, in case you are wondering, I'm still thinking of blues and greens and sunshine. Simply beautiful!!

Progress Report

2011-12-13T12:58:00.001-08:00

After a week away, the progress is very visible on the remodel. Wow! Look at that structure!

Seems like there should be a quilt in here somewhere, what with all the lines and angles...

By the afternoon, it was even further along.

And this morning, they took the roof off the main house. Yikes!! Pray that we don't have rain until AFTER the new roof is in place and secure! It seems like a gamble in December, but we really do live in a dry climate, despite fog. Rain is not anticipated for at least another week to 10 days. Let's hope the forecast is accurate this time!

L'Orana!

2011-12-12T22:30:00.000-08:00

I hear that some of you noticed my absence. I'm sorry. I was out of the country. Where was I? Ahhh. Here's who greeted us at the airport.

We went to Tahiti, in celebration of 30 years of marriage. What a wonderful week of sun and memories.

Our first stop was the Intercontinental. We were housed there for several hours after landing, before we were allowed to board the ship. I lounged,

Hubby prefers watersports. This is a freshwater pool, abutting the lagoon.

Palm trees come in all shapes and sizes. I took lots and lots of photos.

This is our ship, the Paul Gauguin. It's small, with about 350 passengers. The service is spectacular, I have only good things to say about the experience. This was actually our second time aboard this ship. We've only cruised twice, each time to Tahiti, each time on the Paul Gauguin.

Our first island stop was Raiatea, where we took a 4x4 trip through the volcanic crater.

It was a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride type of trip, earning grins for the entire bouncing jolting duration.

Our guide was...Maria? I think her name was Maria. Don't be fooled by the beautiful flowers (wild ginger), check out her left hand. She knows how to use it!

She took advantage of the trip to cut a beautiful selection of flowers for herself. These are a variety of Bird of Paradise.

The water is really this color. The lighter the color, the more shallow the water. The reef surrounding the island keeps out the surf and creates lovely calm lagoons that are fantastic for snorkeling.

This little hermit crab was about the size of my pinky fingernail. Isn't he cute? The shore is covered with crushed coral "sand."

This is a view from their private island, located near Taha'a. We spent the day here, soaking up rays and generally learning how to relax.

The bar served drinks in coconut shells. Afterward, they burn them in bonfires.

I missed the dying session, when people made their own pareos. A pareo is the piece of fabric that Tahitians can wrap in a multitude of ways to create clothing. (This is miniature, compared to what would actually be needed to cover a person.)

Here's one of our hostesses, helping a shipmate with his fabric.

I loved the blues, so clear. Not a hint of fog, anywhere.

Sunsets were beautiful, even with interference from rain clouds.

When walking through the islands, periodic reminders of Christmas were seen. I kept wondering why they had decorations up in July...

This palm tree looked wrong. It took me a minute to realize it was a cell tower.

One thing about Tahiti: there are a lot of dogs. ALL of them make Chupa look beautiful.

We had a chance to string our own leis on "Polynesian Night."

The next day we took a catamaran sail and snorkel around the island. I was along for the ride.

Hubby was there for the snorkeling.

There were frequent programs featuring local musicians. I LOVED the music. It made me want to get up and dance.

But they already had girls to do the dancing, and guys.

On the last day we took a tour of James Norman Hall's house. He wrote Mutiny on the Bounty. I took pictures of some of the shellwork on clothing, for inspiration.

Our guide, Lydia, made her skirt. She's a seamstress who says that "patchwork" is very popular with the Tahitians. In talking, I realized that what she called patchwork, we call Hawaiian applique.

This particular hibiscus is useful for cleaning the inside of your mask so you don't have to spit in it. I just thought you'd like to know.

As we left, we saw more reminders that it is NOT summer, it is December.

Oh my! I think I need to get a tree!

I have hundreds of pictures, but I don't know how many I will subject you to. We'll see. Lots of things have been going on, and I have some catching up to do.

Progress Report

2011-12-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

As the seasons change around here, a lot more is happening than just leaves falling off the trees.

After the Thanksgiving hiatus, the concrete guys came back and poured the breezeway and sidewalks. The edges were lined with what looked like rebar to me. It wasn't. It was giant bolts. (was? are?) Pieces of lumber are then drilled, leaving holes for the bolts.

Then, when the frame of a wall is built, it is held snugly against the concrete with a giant nut. And the silver gadget on the corner? I guess it would take more than Godzilla to rip that thing from the foundation. The building should be EXTREMELY secure/sturdy. It would take more than a day to get this thing out of the ground, believe you me.

When I stopped by after guild yesterday, I found one wall in place and a second being assembled.

Before you could say, "Jack Robinson!" they had it together and started lifting.

On the left is Grant, our contractor. On the right is his brother, Gary.

Keep going, steady there...

And before you know it, there be walls out there! (Star Trek IV reference, for you non Trekkies.)

Once the frame is in place, it's covered with plywood.

These brothers are pretty good at working together. See how the one ducks as the other goes right over him with the board? It's like a well-orchestrated dance.

Grant says that by the end of today, all of the walls should be up. Amazing. The next time I have pictures, there will probably be trusses as well. It's hard to believe that it's finally coming true. I'm so excited!

You didn't think I'd pass up a chance to share another Penny pic, did you? Here's something to put a smile on your face. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks? ;)

And that's a wrap, folks.

Day Trip

2011-12-01T08:24:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to visit with Penny and her Mumsy. It's now been even longer since I've seen her Papa, as he was at work when I made my mad dash to the Bay Area.

Doesn't she look all grown up in her plaid skirt and tights? She's getting into the holiday spirit.

mmmm. Mum's scarf tastes like chocolate!

I brought Penelope a new hat, courtesy of Ann. Mum? Do I look cute?

I don't think it matches my outfit. Would you like to try it on?

Okay, I'll put it here for later.

Penelope is the Imelda Marcos of hats. This one matched her outfit, so she was content to leave it in place. Eight month old fashionista. Who knew there was such a thing?

We stopped for lunch at Lulu's, where Penny was willing to have her picture taken with Gramma.

After the big people ate, the little person had her lunch.

mmm. Homemade green beans! Delicious!

Now I think I'll chew on my finger for a while, for dessert.

Okay, you caught me! Yes, I am growing teeth! Number three popped through on Saturday, and number four should be here any day.

Excuse me, but if you were teething, you'd be drooling too!!

mmmm. Chocolate!

You ought to try it some time. yum!

And for her first Christmas, Mum got a tree and Gramma made a stocking. So far the tree hasn't made much of an impression, but she did like the jingle bells. :)

And there they are, my girls. Hugs and kisses, Sweeties! See you again soon!

I'm In

2011-11-23T08:59:00.001-08:00

Remember this little quilt, "Tahitian Tradition: Ti Fai Fai"? It was my 2010 Hoffman Challenge. I love this quilt. It came home in October, the day of the Road to CA extended deadline. I couldn't help myself. I entered it.

My pictures were terrible, but apparently they were good enough. For the first time in what? Four years? I've broken through the Road barrier and I'm back in. wow. The quilt is hand appliqued, hand quilted, hand beaded. I have to say that it's one of my favorites, even though I've spent little time in its company.

ring, ring. oops. They need me to move some cars so they can get the cement truck in, to pour concrete. That means I need to track down keys. It's always something, and today it's a LOT of somethings. Gotta run. Happy Thanksgiving, if I don't check in before tomorrow!!

Simply Amazing

2011-11-22T14:20:00.001-08:00

Exactly one week ago we started destruction of the second house. This morning, they poured the foundation for the new workroom. wow.

This method of applying concrete through a hose was new to me. I guess it's much simpler to fill the borders around the garage this way, rather than trying to maneuver an entire truck. This afternoon they groom the new concrete and prepare for tomorrow's pour. Tomorrow they pour the garage floors. Next week they pour the breezeway and sidewalk/patio.

I took a walk in what was #1 Son's 2010 garden. He allowed it to go to seed, and now he has an abundance of radishes. I picked some last week, and they were barely the size of pencils. One week of cooler weather and they went nuts. wow!

I can't wait to see what I find when I go out there tomorrow!

Shopping and Stuff

2011-11-21T15:54:00.001-08:00

There has been some interest expressed in wondering what I bought at Houston. A better question would be what DIDN'T I buy at Houston? I bought a lot. It would be safe to say that I was single-handedly trying to save the economy. If spending was the key, it would have been saved, believe you me. :)

I have never been able to pass the ArtFabrik booth without buying a yard or two of Laura Wasilowski hand dyes. I bought two. Plus a 1/4 yard of Laura's hand-dyed silk velvet and some of Frieda Anderson's hand-dyed silk ribbon. I also came home with this sampler pack of Kreinik threads. I read about them on Allie's blog all the time. I figured I should see what all the fuss is about. The two balls of perle cotton are variegated Valdani.

I found this hand-dyed velvet ribbon. Surely it will be useful for something? The hand-painted grape lace was from a different vendor.

Vintage trims? I need some of those. I need some modern day trim (right side of frame) as well, don't I?
How about charms? Bunnies come in charms and buttons. Too cute!

I really thought I would be able to make it past the bead vendors. I was unsuccessful on the last day. I smiled all the way to the register, and all the way home. I'm still smiling.

For some reason I thought I might need to start stamping on fabric. I bought some stamps, just in case. The blue foam surface was recommended as the perfect thing on which to stamp fabric. I was advised to use fabric paint, applied with a sponge, for perfect results. One of these days I will try them out.

Hand dyed silk ribbon? I need that too... (The variegated is from Frieda Anderson.)

And then there was the hand-dyed silk velvet. ooh! aah! I need LOTS of it, don't I?

It rained over the weekend, which meant this morning we woke up to fog. Can you see the two bicycle riders on the right? Driving in the fog is a learned art. I've been doing it for 25 years. So far, so good.

By this afternoon, the fog had burned off. Brilliant!

The rain and the cold spell knocked a lot of leaves off the trees. That's not all they knocked off.

Let's play "Where's Walnut?" Do you see?

He's hiding to the right of the bend in the stick, under some leaves.

Where's Walnut?

He's 8" from my toe!

I must say that as a child, my father believed in raising us to have "highly tuned visual detectors." For the lay person, that would mean LOOK CLOSELY! You might miss the treasure!

What did he consider treasure? ummm...Marlboro miles. He didn't smoke, but he collected miles and enlisted all of us in the pursuit of one man's trash. He redeemed them for tents, duffel bags, fishing rods, jackets...yep. Trash to treasure, in an amazing magic act.

I think I prefer picking up walnuts.

And that's it for today. Tomorrow they pour the footings, on Wednesday they pour the slab. woohoo! I think there will be more pictures for you in the not so distant future!

What a Difference a Day Makes

2011-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

Temperatures are dropping around here, and the garden is beginning to show signs of winter. The gingkoes are bigger than last year, and those closest to the house are turning bright yellow. lovely!

The first few leaves have fallen.

The volunteer coxcomb are just about done for the season. See you again, my lovelies. Same time, next year.

Oh wait. You thought I was talking about the walnut house, not the Visalia house. At the walnuts, the oranges are starting to turn orange.

If the persimmons turn black, what does that mean? I've never had this type of persimmon tree before. Anybody want some?

But really, when I said a day makes a difference, I was referring to the demolition. Already it's time to think of rebuilding. See the footprint? The dirt in the foreground, to the right and left, will be the new garage and workout room. It will include 3 car bays and a utility sink.

When you look to the west, the bay window will now be framed by a breezeway. You will be able to see walnut trees instead of the back of a nasty second house. To the right will be a "game room," complete with bathroom. It might also function as a workroom/studio some time in the future.

And while all this is going on, Chupa naps. This is one of her favorite spots, just behind the "beware of dog" sign. I think she has a sense of humor.

Tomorrow I teach a class in hand quilting.

Today I got a "so sorry" letter from Road to CA. My quilt got into Houston, but couldn't make the cut for Road. go figure. However I entered two quilts, and haven't heard anything regarding my 2010 Hoffman Challenge. Do you suppose that one got in? Or are they sending the "I'm sorrys" in waves? I suppose I'll know soon enough...

It's Coming DOWN!!

2011-11-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

After weeks of planning and preparation, the permits were gathered and the equipment put in place. On Tuesday morning, the big guys rolled into town.

Our contractor worked quickly, as the sun came up. This entire electrical panel needed to be preserved. It supplies power to the Real House, the domestic well, and the ag pump/well.He worked on both sides of the wall, making sure that there was no wiring contained within. He said he'd never seen a house with three layers of wall board. Apparently each time it was damaged, they just added another layer.

By 9am, they were underway.

chomp, chomp, chomp

You're coming DOWN!!!

We'd been told there had been a fire at the house decades ago. As the roof came off, the contractor said that you could see the charred trusses. Nothing was repaired/replaced, they just roofed right on top of the mess. No wonder the roof was sagging!

By now you may be wondering about Chupa. She did well, until the big monster machine fired up. Then she hopped over the orange mesh fence, and headed for the hills. Actually, she just ran across the street and into the neighbor's orchard. I followed about 5 minutes later, called her, and she actually came running back to me. She had no problem going back in the yard. Then #3 son put up the metal fence, in addition to the orange plastic mesh, and she was fine.

She attracted a lot of attention. This worker wondered if she were a Scottish Wolfhound. hmm. Her fur looks a lot like those wolfhound/deerhound breeds. Who knows? She could be a little bit of anything.

Once she realized that the big machine was "okay," she settled down for the day.

In this picture, the house is half gone. The large truck in the foreground holds the debris. It only took two trips to the dump to remove the entire thing.

I had to leave, to run a few errands and do some computer work at home. I saw the sheepies as I drove to and from.

When I returned, the house was DOWN. Notice the electrical box, still standing on the corner. It was amazing that a machine that large could use such surgical precision when removing the bulk of the debris.

Here's another view.

I was working inside, on my laptop, when the contractor rushed in and asked, "PGE or Edison? Do you have PGE or Edison?"

That didn't sound good.

It wasn't. Somehow the underground cable got hooked, and the power box came crashing down.

Live wires on the ground are not a good thing, and the work came to a standstill. Edison arrived quickly, and unhooked the house from the line.

And walked away with the broken meter.

Today's agenda will be to (hopefully) get a permit, replace/repair the electric conduits, get an inspection from the county, and bring back Edison to restore power. Best case scenario doesn't give us power until Thursday. We don't have water either.

But the house is DOWN, and my son says this is the best it's looked since we bought it. :) From the master bedroom, one can now see trees, rather than the backside of a poorly constructed hovel.

It's a beautiful thing. I'll keep you posted.

Retreat Wrap Up

2011-11-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday brought beautiful blue skies. What a lovely day for a wedding! We weren't invited, but we were happy for the bride.

This is the room where we set up our workshop. Inside the machines hum nonstop. Well, that's probably not completely accurate. The room seemed to empty by 11pm. When I got there before 7am, there were usually 6 others already there. But for a group of 40 women...I thought there would be more sewing both into the wee hours and before the sun rose.

I stayed in the room on the left. It had a king-sized bed and a roomy bathroom. My only complaint was that it took about 10 minutes to get hot water into the shower. I wish I were exaggerating.

The walk between the workroom and my room was lovely.

The last of this year's roses were doing their best to go out with a splash of color.

The roses remind me of my childhood, when Daddy had 150 rosebushes growing in our backyard.

I try to guess the names of these beauties. Queen Elizabeth? Is it you?

Sterling Silver? Are you lavender enough to be her?

In addition to the roses blooming, leaves were falling. Look at this monster leaf. WOW.

The nights are coming early now. In Wonder Valley, it was gorgeous.

It was our 15 year retreat anniversary. In celebration, Julie made this cake from 9.5 yards of white on white fabric.

Looks like their friends were busy after the wedding. I saw the happy couple drive off, the morning after.

All too soon it was time to go.

The last sentinel bid me adieu.

This is the one peek of the river that can be glimpsed as one leaves.

And now I'm home. It's good to be back.

A Quilting We Will Go

2011-11-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

On the road again. Can you believe it? Actually, when I'm on the road again, it will be to return home. Shortly after returning from Houston, I headed out on retreat. All sorts of ideas were bubbling around in my head, now is the time to start work on something. Or so I thought. Goals are good.

Retreat is only an hour away, but the changes in landscape are dramatic. Trees are changing color at the Sherwood Forest Golf Course.

Egrets are hanging out, enjoying the pre-storm weather.

But mostly? It's about the beef cows. There are brown cows,

And brown and white cows,

And white and brown cows,

And black and white cows,

And white with black cows...

And after all of those cows, the signs begin.

No cows yet...

Here they are

What?

More signs,

More cows

And we're almost there.

There are other things to look at here, besides bovine beasties. Can you see the buggy, with the bride and groom? It rained for the bulk of the day, but for the 30 minutes of the outdoor ceremony? The skies held firm. Another couple will try it again this afternoon.

Inside, we are snug as bugs. As long as the power holds, the room is humming!

Blogger tipped my photo, but I've finished 3 baby quilt tops. Today the fun begins, IF I can find the ingredients for a complete project. I wanted to work on a little red piece, but I left the back at home. arg. I also left my light and my pillow at home. And a lot of other things. I'm discovering the missing pieces as I reach for them on a daily basis.

Instead of stressing, I just look outside and lift my eyes to the hills. This certainly is a lovely place to spend a few days.

It will all be over soon.

Stay tuned. This coming week, it's time to bring down the house.

Houston Lingers

2011-11-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

When they say "everyone" goes to Houston, they aren't kidding. Look who I saw, when I walked in the door one morning. I chased after him, until he was stopped by a fan. Smile, Santa! You're on Candid Camera!

The following is a random selection of quilts that caught my eye each time I went through their rows. I suppose it was the color, along with the geometry, that did the trick. Whatever it was, I was drawn to these.

oh dear, another blur. I'm sorry!

This quilt was VERY attractive. I loved the poinsettia wreath. The twigs in the border had couched yarn, adding enough texture that I wanted to touch it. I behaved, I did not touch.

Later, on this same day, I ran across an elf. I told her that I'd seen Santa earlier, and she was a bit surprised. She said he said he was going to be staying home and resting! ;)

I haven't done much creating since I've been back, although I have held a needle. While at the show, I bought a darning ball and darning yarn. When I got home, I bought some needles. Why am I darning my socks? Because they're cashmere, they're my favorites, and Costco doesn't seem to have them this year...

Last night I pulled out some drafting tools, to help Mr. Carpenter with a project. He's making a bridal arch for his buddy, who is getting married next month.

And finally, I was thinking about getting ready for retreat - I haven't even started - and saw the pile of wrapped clothesline in the corner. Rather than drag it with me, I stitched up the basket last night. It's my biggest one yet. I have to say that I think I like the smaller ones better.

I'm still waiting for 16 pounds of my Houston purchases to arrive. I don't know if I can show you what I bought, I got more than a little carried away. If my shopping is an indication, I guess I'm hoping that 2012 is going to be a VERY productive year!!

My Fellow Olympians

2011-11-07T06:09:00.001-08:00

Before I left for Houston, I was trying to describe this show. That's a bit difficult, as I'd never been here before, to see it in person. All I knew were its reputation, and the Big Names that are perennial favorites. I had no idea how accurate my Olympic description was. If you would like to see pictures of the winners, you can go here, and examine them at your leisure.

Those quilts are exquisite, and I am sure that you will be seeing many of them again and again, as they enter and win other national shows. But what about the "also rans"? What about my fellow Olympians? Those who have been training for years for just this event and came up "short."

I don't see it that way, that I came up "short," I see this as a major victory. I made it to the Quilt Olympics!! And so did a lot of other people. What follows is the complete class of Art, Naturescape, minus the 4 ribbon winners, and minus my quilt. You've seen them before. Take a gander at these beauties. Don't forget to read the descriptions that follow each quilt, as they tell you who made them and give you insight as to how.

The ribbon you see in the following frame belongs to the quilt on the left, not the cherry blossoms.

Sorry this is so blurry - I don't know what happened...

So what do you think? Tough category? Maybe. But they held the Quilt Olympics, and I was there! What an honor!!!

Friday's Festival

2011-11-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

The day dawned with skies of brilliant blue. I'm so glad the predicted rain has not arrived. Hopefully it will wait until Monday, when most Festival attendees have split the scene. The weather right now is glorious!

Sitting outside, waiting for Festival to open is a good place to be. From my perch on the balcony, I could people watch.

This was the line for one of the three escalators at 9:56. The doors opened at 10am.

That was nothing, compared to the lunch scene. This picture was taken at 1pm. We didn't eat in this arena.

I didn't take any pictures in the vendor mall, as I was much too busy parting with my money. As you can see by their bags, I'm not the only one doing some parting. :) (Was that a Freudian slip? I just typed "partying.")

Which reminds me...yesterday, we were looking at the quilts. The PA system came on - you know how sometimes it does a screech as it warms up? Well this PA emitted a long low sound that seemed vaguely familiar. I piped up, "Whale song!" A fraction of a second later, a woman on the other side of Sharon said the same thing.

When the PA made the song again, both of us (the stranger and I) said, "I speak whale!"

We looked at each other, and burst out laughing. It is SO much fun to be with like minds!!

I have taken a few pictures of quilts. This has to be my favorite of the top winners. It's hand appliqued, an original design, inspired by John 15:5. It is spectacular. At the winner's luncheon, the quilter told us about how this quilt came to be, and then proclaimed, "To God be the glory!" Amen!!

This quilt, from Text on Textiles, is completely different. It drew me in as I studied its construction and content and wondered about the meaning of the title, "A Fine Pastry." I didn't see any pastries. You can read the narrative following the picture, for the quilter's explanation.

One exhibit, that is a show within itself, is the Twelve by Twelve quilt challenges. This exhibit, generously sponsored by the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection, features 24 sets of 12 quilts apiece. Each challenge that was issued resulted in twelve quilts by the 12 internet artists. The quilts were then unveiled on their individual blogs and the group website. I spent hours studying the quilts, and only saw half of them. I'm going back tomorrow. And I bought the book.

Yesterday I showed you this quilt at the Alzheimer's booth, that was calling out to me. It was made and donated by Melody Crust.

I was back at the booth today, and they tried to get me to buy this one. It was made by Mary Story. I LOVE it, but I was in the middle of a bidding war at the silent auction.

In the end, I arose the victor. This little quilt, by Larkin Van Horn, will now go home with me as my official "souvenir" from my first trip to Houston. woohoo!! Wait until you see it in person.

Before we knew it, another day had come to a close. This was Sharon's last day here, so we had to grab our photo with the Houston horse brigade.

And there you go, another day at the show. I wish you could see this woman's garb, along with that of her companion. I called out to them, but I guess they were ready to call it a day, because they did not stop. Their skirts were made of men's ties, along with their tops and hats. They were quite the fashion statement, believe me!

Only one day left, and then I travel. I do hope you feel like you're right here with me!!

Still Festive

2011-11-04T05:23:00.001-07:00

Ah, the days of fun and Festival! I didn't think it could live up to its rave reviews, but now that I'm here? Yeah, this is pretty doggone awesome! There is so much creativity oozing from every corner of the convention center, surely one absorbs it effortlessly. How could you help but be inspired?

The big names are here, not only in the fabric, but in their skin. :) This is one of the latest from Caryl Bryer Fallert. She won a first place in her division (I'm not sure which it was), with this fascinating study of movement.

While the quilt draws you in with its fabulous use of color, the quilting draws you even closer. Look at the quilted figures, which are invisible from a distance. The colorful bodies are quilted with feathered muscles and brains. It's mesmerizing. (click on the photo for detail)

This butterfly quilt caught our attention, because it was made by the same artist. Really? Since when does Caryl do this sort of realism?

I haven't taken many photos. I know. I should, I just haven't. There's so much to see, I forget to record it digitally.

I loved this portrait. The colors call to me. How is this? I don't particularly care for purple and yellow together, unless they're in pansies. Yet here it is, and it speaks to me.

Not only are there quilts everywhere, there are quilts for sale in more than one place. Quilts by Masters and Names are here for the taking. Just pull out the plastic, sign on the line, and it's yours.

Yesterday I bought a Velda Newman. I am not joking. It is small, it is framed, and it is mine. I'll post a picture at a later date, as my roommate is currently sleeping, and my hoard is in the room.

Yes, hoard. I've been stimulating the economy like there's no tomorrow. Today I will be shipping a box home. It will be filled with purchases and dirty laundry. If I don't, they won't let me on the plane. Too much weight in my suitcase, too many carry-ons.

And I thought that not bringing the largest suitcase would curtail my shopping. Ha! Fooled myself, that's for sure!!

There are little quilts for sale to support the next Texas Quilt Museum.

There is a silent auction of little quilts to support IQA. (I've been placing my bids, watching the dollars rise. If I don't win, well, let's just say they won't be giving those quilts away...)

And I've found little quilts for sale in Ami Simms' Alzheimers booth. This one caught my eye with its wonderful beading. And then the price tag. $350. I was staring at it, and they said, "Oh? You like the Melody Crust?" Ahhh... I've heard the name before, but was unfamiliar with her work. Very cool.

I did not buy this one, however I did buy three others. The money goes to a good cause - let's destroy Alzheimers!! - so I'm more than willing to do my part.

I bought three little crazy quilt-style donations. I've been trying to convince Jeremy to stock some gewgaws so that I can play around with crazy quilting. He told me he had a better idea. I could teach a class. Who? Me? I haven't even done it before. I've just lusted after them.

But I guess that suggestion had roots, as yesterday I picked up Allie Aller's Crazy quilting book, along with one by Judith Baker Montano. And silk ribbon, and velvet, and charms, and hand-dyed perle cotton...

I'm stocking up on the ingredients, I just hope that cake has time to bake itself!!

This morning Festival opens at 8:30am, for IQA members and 10:00 for the general public.

I tell you what, being an IQA member is worth a lot more than just being able to submit a quilt to the show. Come to Houston, and there are perks galore. Each day I am more impressed. I can't believe I leave soon. Can't I stay through the very last second?

Festival is OPEN!!!

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Waiting, waiting, waiting...the aisles are empty, as the vendors put the finishing touches on their booths and the quilters count the minutes until the doors open.

Oh, to have a sense of style and the confidence to create a "look" and carry it off so successfully!!

Did I tell you that my SAQA piece sold in the last few days it was in the store? The purchaser was Karey Bresenhan, the face of Quilts, Inc and IQA. I told Jan that it was my goal to thank her in person for buying my quilt, and Jan wished me good luck. Believe me, my luck right now is fantastic!

Karey was at the head table for today's luncheon, celebrating the top award winners. I hoped that I would be able to catch her and thank her. And then I realized that she was wearing the exact same jacket I was wearing!!! Well that demanded a photo, don't you think? She says she really likes the little quilt, and if her taste is my taste, I believe her!

And finally, tonight, when the doors to Festival officially opened...

My quilt was still hanging!!!

And The Winners Are...

2011-11-01T21:01:00.001-07:00

First Place, Art, Whimsical....Sharon L. Schlotzhauer, with "Really Wild Flowers Second Season."

Sharon's miniature won second place, in the Art, Miniature category.

First Place, Art, Abstract...Paulette Landers, of Springville, CA. This is "Jubilation."

Sorry I don't have the write up. I hadn't seen this quilt before tonight.

** I have seen this quilt before, as it was BOS, Small Quilts at Best of the Valley. I had not yet come across it here in Houston. It's as lovely as I remember it.

Cindy Seitz-Krug (Bakersfield) and Molly Hamilton-McNally won an Honorable Mention with this lovely quilt.

I'd already photographed the quilt and the write-up, knowing that I wanted to post the quilts of people I know personally. woot! Are you as excited as I am, that I know some of them?

Tomorrow I attend a lecture with Cynthia England, then a luncheon during which the top winners speak. In the evening, it's Preview Night. woo hoo!!

Yep, I'm having a great time...wish every quilter could be here at least once!!

P.S. You want the complete list of winners? Click here.

Waiting Patiently

2011-10-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today I had fun, poking through Collection D of the Hoffman Challenge.

One of my favorite things at a quilt show is to unexpectedly come upon someone taking a picture of one of my quilts. To me, it's the ultimate compliment. "Excuse me, may I take a picture of you taking a picture of my quilt?" She graciously held her pose for me.

But then she suggested I also pose with the quilt. It was actually kind of fun, since I haven't seen this little quilt since mid-July.

Tomorrow the award winners are announced. Wednesday is Preview Night. Thursday, the show opens. I had to take a picture of this sea of scooters, just waiting for the army of invading quilters. The woman in charge of them assured me that they will run out...and my picture shows less than half of the fleet.

Have you figured out where I am yet?

Sunrise...

2011-10-30T20:50:00.001-07:00

Sunset...

The skies here are SPECTACULAR. My digital camera does NOT do them justice...

Happiness is

2011-10-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

seeing old friends and new fabric collections. Congratulations, Jan!!!

Today's List

2011-10-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

I spent the day at the walnuts, trying to clean out the barn. I actually made quite a bit of progress. yay!

Chupa looks like she stayed up all night. She does that sometimes, barking.

She looks a little better in this picture. She's getting her beauty rest while I battle spiders, webs, dust, and mouse droppings. ugh.

Before I left for the walnuts, I made time to finish this.

And this.

I'm pretty late with the birthday cards, and I've still got 4 names on my October list. I think I need more October.

Oh, How the Mighty

2011-10-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

have fallen. Is this the most pathetic-looking creature you've seen in recent memory? My once-pampered lap cat is now calling the trash can lid his home. I look at him, begin to feel sorry for him, but immediately remember the puddles he left on the kitchen counter. He may look pathetic, but I can't deal with his refusal to follow litterbox protocols. Enjoy your lid, Malcolm. You earned it.

I've been trying to clear out the barn this week. Soon (I hope!) the house/garage will come tumbling down. Before it does, I need to have a place to put the contents of the garage.

To say that the barn is a challenge, is an understatement. You can't see many, but the rafters (and everything else) are strung with cobwebs. Big hairy dirty cobwebs, that have been there for years.

When you look down, you see chaos. I'm not quite sure how this happened, but when the sons moved in, their stuff did too. They didn't have the time to organize it. oh. my.

While I'm in the barn trying to clear out rubbish, I hear noisy little birds pipping and calling out back.

Indoors, the boys (mine and his business partner) are assembling a 3D printer. Yeah, I'm not quite sure either. If/when they get it up and running, it should be fascinating.

And that's the haps around here. I'm in the barn, cleaning up mouse poo, the Engineers are in the house engineering. Maybe I should have gotten my degree in something other than History.... (just kidding)

All this to say, no quilting around here right now. Maybe in the next day or two, but it remains to be seen....

Oh! We did the second shake at the walnuts, so our 2011 harvest is with the buyer. hip hip hoorah!!

Finished!

2011-10-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but I finished that quilt. Yesterday at 10am, it looked like this. I made the binding at 6am, attached it by 7:30, and stitched it down for hours. It was a big quilt, probably about 84" x 90".

While I was stitching, my embroidery machine was also hard at work.

At 2pm, I was stitching down the label, and by 2:30, it was wrapped and ready to go. The wedding was at 4pm, 30 minutes away. Yes, I was able to clean up, dress up and giddy-up out the door. We made it to the wedding on time.

The only drawback of cutting it so close is that I did not get a photo of the finished quilt. oh well. Most important, it got to the couple, they got married, and now its fate is out of my hands.

oh, and the funny thing?

There was a HUGE sale at the local quilt store Friday/Saturday. Instead of going out and buying more fabric, I stayed home and quilted. How weird is that? It's TOTALLY out of character...

Stunned

2011-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well.

I've been trying to come up with something quiltie to blog, but I wasn't having much luck. Do you want to see my quilts hanging at PIQF? There's the green one in the center...

And the lion on top. Notice that my quilt had the privilege to hang above the Best Handworkmanship winner, made by Zena Thorpe. Believe me, I just had to read her name on the winner's list to know that she had me beat when it comes to handworkmanship. I didn't need to hang right next to the quilt to prove it! ;) (I just found it curious, as all of the wall quilts were hung in alphabetical order...except for hers, and the zebra above. Very odd.)

But I didn't think those quilts were interesting enough to post about. How about a travel pic? See the cherry shed up ahead? That was where my son's Explorer broke down on Labor Day weekend. Did I tell you about that? He was a mile out of Gilroy, when his alternator went out. We drove over from Santa Cruz on a rescue mission, and didn't get there until well after midnight. I've since passed this cherry shed five times, and finally broke down and took the photo.

Or maybe you'd like to see Penny's latest trick. She came up with this one while we were talking this afternoon. Don't blame blogger for the sideways picture, it's the iPad's fault. I have no idea why, but the screen shot photos always seem to be flipped. (see? She's eating her foot.)

The police cat (black&white) is unimpressed. He's one of the locals who thinks we've got the best grub in town. And best places to nap. And best places to just hang out. He is not my cat, and he is not NotMyCat. :)

But none of the above was enough to get me to the computer. What got me here, was an email from a friend.

Today, out of the blue, I received a copy of Machine Quilting Unlimited from the publisher. Strange. I don't subscribe, and it was in an envelope.

I opened it. aha! It's the issue with Sharon Schlotzhauer's article in it! I'd helped her by reading it a few months back, and I thought maybe she sent it to me as a thank you. And so I sent her a thank you. I put the magazine aside, to read on the plane in a couple of weeks.

Well, I got a response telling me to OPEN THE MAGAZINE!! Why? Well...

There's a lovely picture-filled article about Sacred Threads, and somehow my Lily quilt made the cut. You know? The lily on my masthead? Yes, indeed. More Glorious Than Solomon is in print.

As the post title says, I am stunned.

And now I want to read the magazine before I get on the plane.

But I have a quilt to finish before Saturday, so I should probably get back to it. I'm halfway done with the quilting. The plan is to finish tomorrow, and attach the binding. The wedding isn't until 4pm Saturday. I'm good, right? Plenty of time?

If I don't post, I'm quilting. yay!

On Sunday

2011-10-16T22:31:00.001-07:00

We were back home and talking to Penny via iPad. Every grandparent/grandbaby combo should have them. They are INCREDIBLE.

While we were talking, she figured out that if you touch the little picture of yourself and drag it, you can send it around the screen. I didn't know you could do that. She's a smart cookie, that one. Her Mama had to end the call - Penny, you are NOT going to spend your life interacting with a touch screen!! :)

xxoo, Sweet Pea!!

On Saturday Night

2011-10-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

We saw Penny.

She saw us too...even though she's pretty short.

P.S. Did you notice the two teeth in the second picture?

On Saturday

2011-10-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I went to Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara. This is the view one usually got of the Best of Show.

The only thing that would shift the crowd was the white-glove hostess, flipping up the back.

The winning quilt was "America, Let It Shine," by Sherry Reynolds. You can see the entire quilt here, along with the label. Sherry was there for a while. Here she is, explaining some of her techniques to a fascinated show attendee. Congratulations, Sherry!!! The quilt is STUNNING, to say the least.

Sherry had a second quilt in the show, this lovely tribute to Wyoming. The funny thing about this picture is that while I was taking a picture of her next to her quilt, a white-gloved hostess was explaining the ins and outs of the quilt to the woman blocking the central medallion. Both Sherry and I were cracking up at the expert commentary. The hostess was trying to explain why this quilt did not win a ribbon. I don't think she even realized that the maker had won BOS. :)

I had a couple of other pictures, but my computer seems to have swallowed them. Maybe next week...

On Friday

2011-10-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I finished a birthday card (9 days late)...

And finished the piecing of this peachy wedding quilt. The wedding is on Saturday 10/22. Sew faster! Sew faster!

Where Am I?

2011-10-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

I was nudged today, and questioned about my lack of blogging. oh dear. I knew it had been a while. I hadn't realized it had been more than a week. Let's see...

On the 5th, it looks like it rained and I shipped my quilts to Pacific International.

On the 6th, I cut out a quilt for a wedding on the 22nd. The groom is a peach farmer. I bought the fabric 6 months ago, when I first heard about the wedding.

On the 7th, I worked on a quilt for hire. At least I think I did. Oh! And my 2010 Hoffman Challenge came home. Good to see you, baby!

On the 8th, I drove to and from LA, to help my sister move her couch. And other things. :)

On the 9th, we had our usual Sunday, with church in the morning and our College/Career Fellowship in the evening. I served "make your own sandwiches" to 13 people. More or less. I forget. Oh. Have you been by Costco lately? They've added Salted Caramel Bark to their list of killer sweet treats.

On the 10th, I lost my mind and submitted a second quilt for consideration to Road to CA. I had to take pictures. It took hours. It's my 2010 Hoffman Challenge. I LOVE this quilt!!

On the 11th, I finished the quilt-for-hire, and took the van to the shop for new brakes. It turned out there was more wrong than just brakes, which meant that I was actually at the dealer on Monday (oil change), Tuesday (new brakes, but oops you need something else too) and Wednesday (got the something else and picked up the van.) Oh, and I dropped off a quilt at the Convention Center, for a month long exhibit.

On the 12th, I started sewing on the quilt that needs to be finished for the wedding on the 22nd. It is actually going very quickly, but then I had to meet a workman at the walnuts, and was there for 4 hours. oops. Lost the afternoon.

Today is the 13th, and it was guild day. The 2011 challenges were unveiled, and they were WONDERFUL. I wish I could say that I'd made one, but I didn't. no time. That's my excuse.

In between all of this, I've run hither and yon doing this, that, and the other thing.

Tomorrow I deliver the 3 quilts-for-hire that I finished this month, and pick up another. wow.

In between all that, there has been the usual day-to-day, the trying to get the house down (still talking with the contractor), trying to focus on the quilt show - have you seen the updated website? - missing my kids, planning for Houston, trying to fit in PIQF, et cetera et cetera et cetera.

And with all that I've been doing, my camera has either stayed in my purse or in my car or on my desk. It hasn't been within reach when I've needed it. I'll try to get back on track, but with everything coming up in the next few months? Well, I can only face it one day at a time.

Yep. Stay tuned. It's gonna be busy!

A Rainy Day

2011-10-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up to rain, dripping from the eaves. Good thing hubby stayed out late last night, scraping out the rain gutters. The radioman said they had 1" in Fresno. It was enough to flood the 99 in a couple of places and cause a 7 mile back-up. That's a lot of rain!

I thought, "Oh! This will be a good day to finish that quilt-for-hire." Yes, it would have been, had I pulled it out and worked on it. Instead, I shipped my quilts to PIQF, I ran errands, I made a couple of quilt blocks for exchanges, I worked on a few ideas for cards, and I made a basket.

I like this one. It's happy. It's got a splash of color, highlighting the neutrals. I think it's very effective.

I don't really plan these baskets. I just keep a pile of my clean-up strips from strip cutting. When the pile gets really big, I sew similar colors together, then wrap the clothesline, in preparation for basket sewing. Today I used my half-filled bobbins as well, so I really cleaned up, literally!

I'm having a lot of trouble with my camera. It keeps telling me my batteries are dead, but I've changed them three times. Usually I get more than 10 minutes out of new batteries! Unless I bought a 40 pack of dead batteries from Costco, it's a camera issue, not a battery issue. It refused to focus, and then shut itself off with the message, "Change batteries." yeah right. I just did!

And that's it. A sewing update, not a quilting update. Oh well. Perhaps tomorrow I will get back to that quilt-for-hire. Goals are good!

Cars and Stuff

2011-10-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

I was called out to the walnuts today, to help work on a car. While I was there, the Snookieman showed up. This is his truck.

I drove there in my car.

This is my old car. I drove it from '98 until I got the above car, in 2002. Number 3 son currently drives the van, although I borrow it now and then.

Number 1 son was stressing over the cost of gasoline to fill his green Explorer, so he bought this Metro from Number 2 son. It's too small and scary to drive on country roads. Instead it is the farm vehicle, driven back and forth for night irrigating.

This is also Number 1 son's Explorer. Today he was driving the green one, so I couldn't take its picture.

This is also Number 1 son's Explorer. He originally bought it as a parts car, but Number 3 son is trying to make it driveable. Its current issue is the transfer case. He's already replaced it once, but he got the replacement from a pick n pull place, and it seems to have issues. He says he'll pull it and replace it again this week.

This is Number 3 son's new-to-him car. Looks okay at first glance,

Until you go around back. Today I helped reinstall the exhaust manifold. "Mom, hold this here and put the hole on that bolt there while I tilt the engine back." Easier said than done, until we got a size 5 external torx socket. What? You don't know what that is? That's okay, most of the places we shopped for it didn't know either. Fifth store was the charm.

How many cars do two boys need, anyway? Probably not quite this many...

While I was waiting to be put to work, Mr. Cat availed himself of my services. I had just finished telling him that I was not interested in sharing my lap, and that he's too hairy for my liking.

Mr. Cat plays rough. He's all claws and teeth. I'd finally had enough and tossed him overboard. He snagged my new top in about 10 different places. grrr. Good thing it was on clearance!

Chupa was happy to observe, as long as she was protected by the chair.

But when I put Mr. Cat on the deck, he got ticked and took it out on Chupa. He swiped her nose, and she fell backward off the deck. She was not at all upset - the tail is still wagging - but she did grimace a bit. Notice the missing front teeth?

Then she really lucked out when Number 3 accidentally dropped his pickle.

Last week she stole a donut, this week the pickle was all hers. She gobbled it up posthaste. She seems to be quite adept at stealing unattended food.

Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

Take cover, the clouds are coming in from Alaska. It's not supposed to rain until Wednesday, but I'll be surprised if it takes that long. It smelled like rain an hour before the clouds blew in...

And there you go. I actually did do some quilting for hire this morning, but I didn't get as far as I'd hoped. Perhaps tomorrow. 'Til the next time...

Custom Quilting

2011-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I have a small custom quilting business. I've been doing it for 6, 7 years...wow. Has it been that long? I don't advertise, I'm simply a word of mouth person. I have as much work as I'd like. I could do more, but life is short, and I don't want to spend all of my time on someone else's work, if you know what I mean.

I do all of my machine quilting on my Bernina.

Every once in a while, a quilt comes across my path that I absolutely love. This was one of them. It is SO cute! I haven't embroidered in ages, but I've requested to borrow the pattern from this quilt's owner. It's just that cute!

As I was preparing to begin quilting, I got a call, asking how I would quilt around an embroidery. Well, that gave me an idea for this post, so here you go. When I receive an embroidered quilt, I try to accent the embroidery. After all, there are hours and hours of work in the embroidery, it should be the focal point. And then I knock down the background, with something that does not compete. On this cute little bunny quilt, I filled the background with stipple-meandering and hanging hearts.

I take care not to stitch over any of the embroidery. It is better to quilt "wide" than to hit the embroidery. I also went around all important aspects of the design. You probably can't see it, but I went around the ears and the tails and the heads, while leaving the busy grass and flowers alone.

And there you go. Cute as a button! I will be sorry to see this one go back to its owner. It has been a delight to quilt.

Thanks for checking in...

Down With the House!

2011-09-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned that we're hoping to do a remodel out at the walnuts during the coming months. I've been wanting this since Day 1, the day that I opened the door to the second house.

As you approach the property from the west, there are two houses. The big house, and the original house.

This is the original house, viewed from the east. It looks nice enough, if you don't look too closely, but open the door? The mold and mildew stench will knock you to your knees. From the beginning I've been talking of bringing the house down. We're finally to the stage of drawing plans and waiting for a final bid. yay!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...or perhaps I should say in back of the ranch...The boys have put together this lovely deck. It is quite sturdy, and very level. It's delightful to sit out there, under the tree and check out the view. Simply lovely!

This is the best picture I've ever taken of Chupa. I used a zoom, as she gets up and runs away as soon as I get anywhere close. She's rapidly turning grey. I can see the changes almost every time I visit.

Finally, Mr. Cat is still hanging out. If I sit down, he climbs in my lap. The only problem with that is that he plays rough. He bites. A lot. And not in anger, it's just what he does. I think he also had a rough childhood. ;)

And now, I should head back to the Studio and see if I can accomplish something, anything, today. Have a good one!

This n That

2011-09-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's been go go go around here, with little, if any, time to visit my blog. We've got a few things in the works, I'm thinking the next month will be when the big one starts. We're hoping to do a remodel out at the walnuts. With any luck we'll have a bid in the next week or so. I'll keep you posted once we start, yuck, yuck. ;)

Did I tell you I had two quilts accepted to Pacific International? That was a weird thing, to pick up two letters in my mailbox. I have no memory of entering one of them, but apparently I did. I hope that's not a bad sign, that missing memory chunk. Now if only I remember to ship them in time...

Today two of my boys are hiking Half Dome with a friend. "Please don't fall off." I know. Mothers worry. But this year it's not just an ordinary worry, Yosemite has been a serial killer park. I think two people have fallen off Half Dome. Not good. Not good at all.

On a lighter note, I found a few minutes in my Studio on Monday, and put this together. The embroidery came from an old linen. I think the piece might be more successful in a larger size, but my cards are always 5" x 7". Despite the distortion in the photo, it lies flat and is square.

And I guess that's about it. I need to zip over to the walnuts, because I think I left my cell phone there last night.

Scattered. yep. That describes the condition of my brain. If you see any pieces anywhere, can you please send them back in my direction? Thankyouverymuch!

Kings River Quilt Show

2011-09-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend is/was the Kings River Quilt Show, held at Immanuel High School, in Reedley. Fun stuff, definitely. I looked around for my camera (that took a while) and headed out. Can you believe I wore out the batteries after snapping only three pictures?!!

First is Pat Bell's quilt. It's a cute little thing. Pat, I hadn't seen this one before. I like it!

The next is a basket quilt by Pat Robertson. It's made from Cherrywood fabrics, and she says that the background fabrics were all the same until she washed it. It bled like crazy. When she called them, they told her to wash it in hot. It blended nicely, but the setting triangles were originally as light as the background squares!

This was one of the few art quilts I saw at the show. My camera died as I took the picture, I couldn't even see what I was photographing, I just pointed and shot. I like the way the maker cut a circle print for the thin pink border. It made the quilt. My apologies to the maker, for missing out on her name.

I hadn't planned to shop, but then I never do. It just kind of happens.

I've been asked to donate a quilt for a silent auction in a couple of weeks. I don't have one. I should say I didn't have one. Now I do. This red white and blue quilt by Liz Beshwate was for sale and the price was right. It should fill the bill nicely.

In addition to the quilt, I bought some other things. There's a scarf from India, in brighter colors than you'd think from my picture. I'm not sure of the fiber content, it kind of feels like jute. I'm hoping that washing it will soften it up.

The gourds are hollowed out and have lids. You can stash treasures in them. And then there's another murder mystery. I should probably stop buying them. I'm making my boys nervous.

The pattern was a freebie, with a quilt show coupon, I loved the red batik, and I just couldn't pass up Kristin's ice-dyed purple. yum!

And that wasn't all. The colors of yarn were simply luscious. "What are you going to do with the boucle?" ummm... Do I have to know? I've been warned that it is not comfortable to wear. hmmm. I just REALLY like the color. I'll think of something. And then there are the cookies, made by the Home Ec class at the high school.

The bead vendor was also there. This was their first quilt show. We're pretty excited, because we've talked them into having a booth at Best of the Valley as well.

And I guess that's about it.

Things are happening all around me, what with the walnuts and everything else. It's hard to find time to post, but I'm trying. Thank you so much for your patience!

And if you have tomorrow free, you should swing by the show. It's lovely.

How Your Nuts Get to Market

2011-09-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today my son and I traveled to Selma, to tour the Poindexter Walnut Plant. Wow. Wow. I asked if it was well marked from the road. They laughed and told me, "There are no signs, but you'll know." They were right. We did.

Although our nuts arrived on Saturday and Monday, I'd called early enough to see if I could watch them being graded. They had already graded the first batch, but held the second until our arrival.

This is what was waiting for us. First, the nuts are sized, using the plastic guide to determine Jumbo, Large, Medium, or Baby. Most of ours were jumbo. yay! (If they fall through a hole, they are the next size smaller.)

These are the nuts that have already been cracked and graded. Most of them are very good, but at the bottom you can see one with an insect, and another that has a touch of mold. On the whole, the batch is very good. The lighter the color, the higher the price.

While we toured the plant, the shelled nuts were left with this woman, who cracked them and sorted them by hand. Each sorting tray holds 100 nuts, and yes, that is a pizza box that she's using as her base of operation.

Our nuts will be sold in the shell. This is the area where they bag them. The ladies are sorting out any nuts that are broken or unappealing. The rest go up the conveyor belt, to the bagging machine.

The team of four men work together to bag and seal the nuts. It is amazing how quickly they are bagged and tagged.

These are ready to go. If you look closely at the tag, you might notice that they are headed to Turkey. I have to trust my guide, because I couldn't read the tag myself.

If I understand correctly, nuts that go to Turkey to not have any extra processing. When they get there, bags are distributed to families. The families crack the nuts by hand and then return the meat for sale to other countries. Can you imagine such a livelihood? I can't, it's as simple as that.

This machine was also in the in-shell area. It's a size sorting machine. At the top you can see a long barrel made with holes that the nuts will fall through. The first section kicks out the babies, the next medium, then the large, and finally the jumbos fall into the last container.

I'm not sure what size these are, I just took the picture of the bin with the most nuts in it.

Here is a small number of the shipping crates. These California walnuts are sold around the world. wow.

The next building held the sheller. This machinery cracks the nuts, spitting the meat in one direction and the hulls and debris in another. That's Mike, our tour guide.

Here you can see the nuts coming out one side of the machine,

And here the hulls fly out the other.

The sheller does an amazing job. Look at all that nut meat! I do see a single shell in there, which will be pulled out by hand before it is bagged for sale.

I believe these ladies are quality control, again watching the nuts go by, making sure nothing unwelcome is among them.

This is a one pound bag of nuts, destined for a grocery store.

I didn't take pictures of two other areas, one was the fumigation room, the other was outside. Shelled nuts that go to South Korea or Australia or any number of countries require the nuts be fumigated with Methyl Bromide. It takes 24 hours to treat them, before bagging.

The alternative is to place them in bins outside, wrapped in black plastic tarps for 8 days. This probably sounds a bit sketchy, but I'm typing this from memory. I did not take notes. I was too busy taking pictures. The point of tarping or fumigation is to prevent any insect contamination to the importing country.

This fork lift is moving bags of nuts into cold storage. Once inside, the entire door closes from the roof, sealing in the cold. There is a regular door inside the fork lift door, that we walked through. To raise the door for the fork lift, there was a string hanging from the ceiling. I'd call it a bell pull, but it was just a string.

I thought the next was the most impressive piece of machinery at the plant. It is a pasteurizer. It is currently the ONLY one in existence/use that is certified to pasteurize walnuts. There are a few more coming online at a couple of other walnut plants sometime in the future, but Poindexter has this one, and uses it.

The nuts go in the front of the machine, which is then filled with dry steam heated to 88 degrees centigrade. A vacuum system sucks out any condensation.

This is the guts of the machine. You can see it if you walk to the left side of that stainless steel and peek around the side.

When the pasteurization process has been completed, the nuts come out this door. Mike was very clear that food safety is job number one, and their investment in this particular equipment shows that it's not just talk.

In the time it took us to tour the plant, the nut-cracking lady was able to crack this many of our nuts. These are the ones shown in the shell, in one of my first pictures.

Here is the final result. Most of them are very large, and very light color, which is good. Two showed insect presence. boo. One was a shriveled nasty looking thing, some were darker than desired, but for the most part? The Poindexters said that they were happy with the quality of our nuts.

"You've done a very good job farming!" Ahh, thank you! Actually, the credit goes to Olson/Pratt, our farmers, along with our boys Andrew and Adam, who did the irrigating. Pete and I? We just paid the bills and said, "Do what needs to be done, and thank you so much for teaching us along the way!"

Truly, this has been an education!

Walnuts and Quilting

2011-09-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

So you thought you were done hearing about the walnuts, didn't you? You're not. There's more.

When they shake the trees to knock down the nuts, the trees don't always like it. Sometimes the branches break off, like this one.

Here you can see where it separated. I'm pretty sure that the other side will come crashing down as well. If it doesn't come down before the second shake, my guess is that the second shake will destroy it. The angle of my photo makes it look like there's more to the remaining branch than there is. I should have found a better angle.

To really give you a sense of the size of this thing, my tree model is over 6'3", and weighs ~ 325. The branch is crazy huge.

We're in the middle of irrigating, and last night I volunteered to go along and see how it's done at night. It's done with the Metro, and Chupa.

We flew low across the dirt access roads, and stirred up a lot of dust. Have you noticed that walnuts are a dirty business? I had no idea.

The boy checks the water, closing some valves and opening others.

I watched from the car, as the neighbors watched me.

This is how the irrigator opens and closes the valves.

His helper is masquerading as a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, running through the water, lapping it up and frolicking like a puppy. Chupa, the Magnificent.

But it wasn't all walnuts, I did mention quilting.

First, the SAQA Auction has moved along to Phase 2, with the 12" quilts currently selling for $750. The remaining quilts from Phase 1 are in the SAQA store, available for $75. Yes, you've guessed it. My quilt did not sell. If you're interested, it can be found here. If not, I think it will be returned to me at the end of October.

I picked up my quilts (and photographs) from the county fair this morning. My airplane quilt (the one utility quilt I'd entered) won a nice pink rosette for "FairGoers' Favorite." Apparently the quilt(s) that receive the most comments are awarded the rosette on the closing day of the fair. The other quilt to receive the award this year was an orange and black quilt made from Giants fabric that spelled out "Torture," in celebration of last year's run to the World Series.

I also received two acceptance letters for PIQF this morning, which threw me for a loop. I only remembered entering one quilt, but apparently I entered two. I know I've been crazy-busy and not a little distracted, but really. Forgetting I've entered a quilt in a show seems like a bit much...

And now, I've got some quilts-for-hire that really need my attention.

That, and I'm still hoping to tour the walnut buyer's shelling facility later this week. Til next time!

Off to the Dehydrator

2011-09-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the nuts are off the tree, now what? Where do they go? Do they go straight to the buyer? The answer is "no," they go to the dehydrator.

With all of the shadows, it was tough to get a picture of the nuts beneath this grating. This is a holding pen, for the freshly harvested nuts. These are our nuts.

The nuts leave the holding pen, and travel up the conveyor belt to the left, to be cleaned up.

As they go through this processor, twigs and leaves and hulls and debris are all removed from the nuts. Much of the process is automated, but there are stations where women still pull out debris and uglies by hand.

Once they've been cleaned as thoroughly as possible, they travel up this conveyor belt into the dehydrator. That's the big metal building on the right.

This is one of the fans that blows the hot dry air through the building. I'm guessing it's at least 10' in diameter, if not more.

This is Leslie, my tour guide, taking me behind the curtain.

And this is where the nuts are held, as their moisture content is taken down to 8%. Buyers don't like to pay for a lot of water weight. Who knew, other than walnut farmers/buyers? Not I, that's for sure. One of these bins hold about 8 tons of nuts when full.

There are a lot of bins in the dehydrator. I'm standing about 3/4 of the way to the other end of the building.

And these two bins hold our nuts.

It's not all of them, the nuts shown in the first picture in the holding bin still need to be processed. Once the nuts are dehydrated, they will truck up to Selma, to the buyer. Apparently he also has quite the operation, where they rate the nuts and shell them and do this that and the other thing with them. In the next week I should be heading up there for yet another tour. Stay tuned, as I'm sure to share it all with you.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

2011-09-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

I guess it's official. We are walnut farmers, and today began the harvest of our first crop. Our farmer called at 8:30, to tell me that the shaking would begin soon. I drove out to the property, and saw this equipment parked out front.

This long lean machine is the shaker. It starts the work. Do you see the brushes, in front of and behind each wheel? They brush the nuts out of the way as the machine zooms back and forth.

I think this is the blower, but now I'm not so sure. It looks more like the scraper, that pushes the nuts to the center of the check.

Maybe this is the blower. hmmm. I thought I had it straight this morning, but now it's hard to remember. I should have taken more than 80 pictures, as apparently I did not take enough.

The shakers began at the far side of the checks. We could hear them rumbling and roaring, and the house rattled constantly as they shook first one tree then another.

The noise grew as the machines moved closer. I could gradually make them out as they emerged from clouds of dust.

Here you can see the machine grabbing the tree. It then shakes it violently, for about 15 or 20 seconds. I was amazed by how quickly the shaker zipped back and forth across the check, shaking this tree then that tree then yet another. zig zag zig zag shake shake shake.

This is what it looks like, when it's raining walnuts.

At this point, the west trees have been shaken and the machines have moved on to the east trees. Look at all those nuts!

I left for a few hours. While I was gone, they blew the debris away from the nuts and scraped the nuts into long piles down the middle of the checks. Then a big blue rumbly machine barreled back and forth down the rows, scooping up the nuts. If you click on these pictures, you can see much more detail. The rumbly machine is crossing the far side of the dirt road, going from west to east.

Once it's rumbled by, the orchard is quiet, filled with rays of sunshine, like a magic fairyland. Only it's a filthy dirty magic fairyland, with the rays of sunshine captured and reflected by the airborne dirt.

Hard to believe that's dirt? Believe me, it's dirt. This is a green car that was not dirty over the weekend.

But it's all worth it, as you see this bin full of walnuts go barreling off to the dehydrator. wow. We really did grow some walnuts. This was the second load I saw leave the property. yay. I guess there were more nuts than I thought!

And finally, we've still got nuts. This tree was shaken at least 4 times, if not more, yet look at all those nuts still on the branches.

As soon as all of the machinery is out of the orchard (possibly this evening, possibly tomorrow morning), we're to do one more round of irrigation, then shake them once more.

I don't know about you, but I found all of this fascinating. Growing walnuts has been quite the education!!

Walnuts: They're good, and they're good for you! :) Buy some and make a farmer smile. :)

P.S. Diana & Heather. I've wanted to respond to your comments, but you don't have an email link on your blogger profiles...

For You Dog Lovers

2011-09-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

For those of you who ask about Chupa, she's still hanging around. This is about as close as I get to her, for the most part. My presence continues to make her edgy and nervous.

I used the zoom to get this shot. See how she gives me that "I don't trust you, I'm leaving" look? I get it every time.

Here she's showing one of her skills. I didn't realize she was a pointer. ;)

When the guys are around, it's a whole different story. She'll often give me a lick too, just to make a liar out of me. ;)

And finally, here she is, laughing at me, as she pretends she's going to just keep on going and enter the house. Sorry dog, I'm here. It's not going to happen today...

And there you go. Chupacabra, in all her glory.

Tulare County Fair

2011-09-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, once again it's time for the Tulare County Fair. I'm not sure how many years the Fair has been around, but this is my...26th. wow. Yep. We moved here in Sept, 1985, just before the Fair opened its doors that year.

I joined the Valley Oak Quilt Guild in 1987, and have been one of its quiltie lady demonstrators ever since. I don't think I've missed a year. I even quilted with them the year that I did not renew my membership.

This is the quilt that won Best of Show, Professional. It's a beautiful Dresden Plate, begun by Loretta White. Loretta passed away, and Ann (second from the left in the above picture) inherited the pieces. She finished the quilt, and it is a stunner. I am thrilled that it was singled out for the BOS recognition.

Other Best of Show quilts hang front and center. On the far left (you can only see half) is the BOS, machine quilted by self. Next to it is the BOS, hand quilted. The large blue star quilt on the right is BOS, overall, BOS, all cotton, and BOS, machine quilted by another. The quilts were made by Diane Mitchell, Kathy Wasnick, and Sharon Scholta.

I'm kind of embarrassed that my airplane quilt hangs above and in the middle of the BOS display. I guess it's there because it celebrates the theme of the fair, which is "Just Plane Fun." It's not because it's BOS anything.

"The Flower Fades" did well. In the professional category, quilts are judged on their own merit, not relative to other quilts in the class. I love the coxcomb quilt hanging next to it, I believe it won BOS, group quilt. It, too, was made by Kathy Wasnick.

"Glacier Ice" hung in the Christmas display. The wreath is NOT part of my quilt.

Finally, I had a hard time finding my penguin quilt. I have to say that I LOVE the long beach quilt hanging above it. It was made by Darlene Byars. Now I want to make one. :)

And there you go, that's my snapshot of the fair. There was much more to see, but I was only there long enough to do a bit of quilting and then do a quick walkabout of the exhibits.

'til next time...

Where Am I?

2011-09-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I was in Santa Cruz.

On Tuesday, I was with Adam, at Westside Auto. Adam...
Westside Auto...

Me...oh wait, I need to smile...

Here I am again. I don't remember holding the camera upside down, but apparently I did. I could blame it on the sun, but on second thought, the photo looks better this way...more balanced. ;)

On Thursday, I finished up my BOTV website submissions, most of which have been posted. Our 2012 entry form is now online, along with pictures of the 2011 winners.

On Friday, I drove to San Carlos, to babysit. I thought Penny (or her mother) might like this quilt.

I was right, Penny did.

Penny also liked her rice cereal.

She's starting to take over the living room. (I couldn't resist the drool...)

On Saturday and Sunday, I finished embellishing this little piece. Blogger tipped it, I did NOT hold my camera wrong this time!

I added some beads and shells and silk ribbon embroidery.

And although I was disappointed in my failed attempts to make a shell fringe, I am quite pleased with the shell & bead border. I used light-weight fire line to hold them in place. The trick to sewing on shells is to use a needle to go through the fabric, and then remove it to string the shell, and then re-thread the needle and stitch through the fabric. It's a tedious process, but I really like the result. The beads came from a shell necklace that I purchased for a dollar at a secondhand store.

And that's my week in review. Hopefully I will have more to post about during this coming week. Stay tuned...

Getting Away From It All

2011-09-06T11:16:00.001-07:00

For Labor Day, we tried something new. We rented a house near the coast, in Santa Cruz. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, it was perfect.

We were this close to the water.

Penny was there.

And Penny and her mother were there.

And Penny and her uncle were there.

And Penny and her Grandpa were there.

There was game playing,

there were walks along the water,

and imaginary house shopping...

This one got the most votes.

There were seagull swarms,

and surfers,

sailboats,

bougainvillea,

a lovely view from the kitchen sink,

and plenty of Penny for everyone.

Every get-away should be this successful!!! The only thing missing was Penny's Papa. Maybe next time...

Cool Facing Idea

2011-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I pulled a UFO "art" quilt out of the pile, thinking I was going to try a new-to-me facing idea. I'd once seen something similar, on a quilt by Franki Kohler, that I bought a few years ago during the SAQA online auction. (BTW, this year's auction commences this month, Sept 12, at 2pm Eastern.)

Anyway, using the inset circle technique from Jeannette's class at Asilomar, I ended up with this. Yes, folks, this is the BACK of the little quilt. The quilt is about 10" x 12", or maybe a little bigger.

This is the front of the quilt, all wonky, but endearing, in its amazing imperfection.

I've just begun the embellishment - yes, I do the embellishment last - so far I've added some sea foam. Blogger flipped my pic, but it's a combination of French knots and beads. I saw the combo at Long Beach and wondered if I could pull it off. (I included this picture, because that mouse is so doggone cute.)

And here's a close-up of my corner. wow. It doesn't matter that it's flipped, I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.

And now it's off to meet the plumber. Yesterday I noticed a leak as I was out at the walnuts, and we need to get it taken care of, for sure.

Like Father,

2011-08-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Like son.

I guess he really meant it when he said he didn't know what to do with his cards.

On a lighter note, the walnuts are looking good, and harvest is just around the corner.

Finally, I don't know if you can see this or not, but Malcolm has not only adjusted to life out of doors, but he's even become civil to intruders. I keep trying to tell the Siamese that he does not live here, but he doesn't listen very well.

Some Cards

2011-08-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Are better than others.

Sometimes it's all about the presentation.

Same card, two shots. The first one may be a bit over-exposed, but it shows the color accurately. The second shows why it will be popular. :)

This n That...

2011-08-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mtn Quilt Festival was held last weekend. Thank you, Sharon, for this picture, taken during the show. I love pictures of people taking pictures of my quilts. It's all about ego. For me, this photo is better than having the quilt hanging...not only is it hanging, but someone likes it enough to take a picture! Yeah, it's my Sally Fields moment. ;)

Hubby had a birthday on Saturday. As usual, I made him a card. He always prefers mountains to beach scenes, so I thought this was appropriate, even if it doesn't specifically say "Happy Birthday."

And sometimes, a picture just leaves me speechless.

Sometimes I Wish

2011-08-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

I had bug spray and not just my shoe.

Note the red hourglass on her belly? (Blur caused by major trembling by photographer.)

Today's score: Shoe 3, Black Widows 0.

I am SO glad that the power has returned and I can hide inside, away from the nasties. shudder, shudder.

P.S. The "shoe" was actually a sandal, and yes, it was on my foot.

Power-Less

2011-08-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

SCE has notified me that there is a scheduled power outage in my neighborhood from 9:30-3:30 today. That means I can "forget the house," but most of my sewing activities are also not going to happen. I don't have any great hand quilting projects that I'd like to spend 6 hours on today, so I may have to leave for a few hours.

It's supposed to be close to 100, and without the A/C? Shopping sounds good at the moment.

Speaking of shopping, Jeremy HAS to stop bringing new fabric into Thimble Towne!! These arrived on Monday, and went home with me on Tuesday. I did think about them for almost 24 hours before rushing in to make sure they hadn't all been sold...

Remember that class I took with Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer, back in May, at Asilomar? This raw edge woven piece was one of the techniques we worked on. For some reason I like it. I don't think it's finished, but it's not talking at the moment. I've thought of adding a cardinal, or cutting it and turning it into a pillow. Any suggestions? At least it has more substance than it did when it was a flimsy woven raw-edged mess...

And finally, I haven't been doing anything spectacular, I've just been plugging along. I made these airplane blocks back in the early 90's (like 1991!), and they've been in the UFO box since then. Last year I added the setting squares, and a few months ago I added the large triangles to put it on point. A few weeks ago I slapped on the borders, and last week and this I quilted it.

One less UFO, finally, finally. I've got a few feet of binding left to secure.

How long does it take to make a quilt? This simple baby took about 2 decades. egads!

Gotta run before they pull my plug. 'Til next time!! Keep on quiltin'!

Forget the House

2011-08-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

Well, I gave it a shot, but it didn't last. Forget the house, I want to sew.

Yesterday I made two more cards, and put more quilting stitches into an ancient UFO.

Here is card #1, as modeled by Charlie. I believe I annoyed him when I woke him from his nap.

Here it is again, as shown by Blogger. >:P Blogger.

Edgar freaked when asked to model this card. As soon as I removed it, he took off. whoosh! Like the wind!

These won't be delivered for a while. I might actually be sort of on top of things. Today.

Now what I'd really like to do is take a nap. *yawn* Charlie has the right idea.