PIQF- My Version

 

Today was the day I was able to go to PIQF with friend Jaye. I was glad to get to visit the SAQA booth where some of the Prism Play show rejects were all displayed together. I thought it was quite fun to see them because these aren't the ones I've seen in the actual traveling quilt exhibit photos. Two of mine are in this first picture. 

This was a lot less quilts than the traveling Prism Play exhibit which has 62 quilts , but still got all around the color wheel pretty completely.

I think really good choices were made by the local SAQA exhibit group and I was happy that two of my quilts got an outing.

It's always good to see any of the Social Justice Sewing Academy completed quilts displayed, they had a whole row of them this year. I was happy to see that there were two quilts that had blocks that I'd embroidered. This block is one that I stitched on way back in 2018.. I wish I'd taken a picture of the whole quilt because it looked so good. Look at that beautiful quilting and the great piecing in the sashing. Gorgeous! 

And here I am cheesing it up in front of my Safe At Home quilt in the New Quilts of Northern California exhibit. Photo credit goes to friend Jaye. I neglected to take a picture of the other quilt I had hanging in the Stretching Art and Tradition exhibit, but it looked pretty good. All in all, a fun visit to PIQF, less quilts than the pre-pandemic normal, no international quilts😞, and a different group of vendors to choose from. Even m ore fun was running into friends from CQFA and BAMQ.

Back To Boho Back

 

There were still a lot of scraps left over from all the strips that made up the Bohemian Wife quilt top, so now I've gotten a lot of them sewn together into this piece.

Here's how the "made fabric" looks along with the other bordered blocks that will eventually make up the quilt back. It looks a mess doesn't it? The pattern for the quilt top really corrals all the print and pattern.

And then one more "made fabric" piece added at the bottom. Still not enough to make up a quilt back of course. All of those small blocks that I made from the teeny-tiny HSTs still need to be sewn into something useable. I'm thinking of setting them in solids or reads as solids chosen from the quilt top fabrics. That will translate into a lot of area to make up the quilt back.

Wandering Wednesday -

 I made another visit to Portland last week, this time with my DH, and after enjoying showing him around the recently visited beautiful Rose Garden, we went across the street and visited the Japanese Garden.

It's a completely different experience of course, and it is a whole lot shadier thankfully as it got pretty warm. After you walk up a fairly steep hill on a well done shady trail you cross a glass bridge over to the garden proper.

The paper lantern display in the central courtyard was beautiful. There was a great exhibit of embroidered works Painting With Thread - The Art & Culture of Fukusa. Tremendously detailed textiles that are draped over gifts but then end up being precious gifts in and of themselves.

I was excited to see some great examples of bonsai in a courtyard off the main building. Some of them were hundreds of years old! I'm trying to get DH to take this up as a hobby for retirement.

The view of Mt. Hood was pretty clear.

The shoji pavilion was gorgeous, and I loved the peaceful raked gravel garden off of the deck. There was a sale of Japanese goods inside which were fun to briefly peruse, but it was very crowded.

There were a lot of great details like this metal top of a wooden bridge entrance post.

The reflection in this pond was quite striking.

I was enchanted by this arrangement of stone and cement pieces in this walkway. I think a wall hanging with this design would be really effective.

There were a whole lot of koi in one of the larger ponds, they are always so fun to watch.

Another similar pathway arrangement. I like those edging tile with the slight curve.

And here's another interesting one, with those same tiles stacked together on edge. This would be a cool quilt design.

And so would the shapes and colors of the bark of this tree.

I was really taken by the separateness of the leaves of the Japanese Maples when seen against the sun. Each leaf has so much space.

Travel ICAD

 nonexistent

Another week away, another week of travel-version ICAD. 

any of the above

These aren't the best of the best of what I've done this year, 

Krispy

but I'm really glad that I put in some time and did them every day. This one in particular was a bunch of things I saw on our way up Highway 5 through Oregon.

to the deep

I'm just happy I didn't give up and quit on finishing the project this year just because I was lucky enough to get to go on two trips this month.

GETTING THERE

Rule

Congratulations

A Visit to Sew Creative

 

On a trip last week with DH, we stayed in Ashland, Oregon and walked around the very cool downtown. We were desperate for a bathroom opportunity, and lo and behold, a quilt shop appeared. I knew they'd have one, I don't think I've ever been in a single quilt store without facilities. Sew Creative is a really nice shop, they had great selections for all types of fabrics and many clever fat quarter presentations. Like the plastic sushi container filled with FQ's above. DH saw these at the checkout and grabbed this one insisting that I needed to get it. Apparently the shop owner is big on recycling and takeout sushi, so she recycles these perfect containers to make appealing FQ combinations.

Some of the pieces were even rolled up just like sushi which was super cute!  They also had packs of FQs tucked into painted metal cages hanging all around the store. They turned out to be suet cages that are supposed to be squirrel proof. This was a very clever marketing idea to go with their new BOM quilt Sweet Tweets which involves appliquéd and embroidered wool birds.

It was very fun to unpack this tray of goodies. And there was no sushi fishy smell at all. I would imagine they get run through the dishwasher or something like that. I love when business find ways to reuse plastic containers in such a clever way.

And then there were the bag patterns! I saw a bag designer on offer that I'd never come across, Charlie's Aunt - Vintage Sewing Patterns. Not that I'm claiming to be an expert or anything, but I have recently been on an extensive quilt shop trip with friend Jaye who is a literal expert on all things bags. I couldn't resist and chose this one because they had one made up in a great combination of solid wool. I love the angles of the flaps, those intriguing layers, the size of the bag and the three buttons. And yes, I'll admit, the beautiful leather gloves and cool coat on the model. I really like the sun hat pattern that Charlie's Aunt sells on Etsy.

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I took inside the shop, obviously in the bathroom. But is this not the cutest re-use of wooden spool and a piece of a vintage advertising ruler?

Freeway Stitching Again

 

Today DH and I drove home from the redwoods up North through the Avenue of the Giants in Redwood National Park.

Once we got back on an actual freeway, I got out my hand stitching again. Still working on Snake In The Garden, last seen being worked on in San Diego in March, This piece has A Lot of freeway miles on it. I'm finally almost done with the purple-pink section.

I have my whole kit ready to go on my lap, it's easy to put away quickly.

I put it away again once we saw the Golden Gate Bridge. It's so nice to be back home once again. Time for more laundry...oh goody.

Look Up Into Willow

Willow trees have always been one of my favorite trees. They have such a beautiful form and are particularly lovely when you’re under one and you look up.

So next time you’re able to, my advice is to take a second and look up.

 This one wasn’t even enormous like some of them end up, DH shown for scale.

Some day I’ll make a willow quilt.

On The Floor

These pictures are from a floor in Powell’s City of Books.

It’s near one of the elevators.

I just thought it was super interesting and textured. Usually stores have such boring floors.

 

So I decided to do a black and white conversion and I like it a lot.

This one even more.

At PIQF This Year

Heads up, at this year's odd summer-time PIQF, I've got four quilts that will be on display at the Santa Clara Convention Center from July 24-27 as part of various exhibits. 

In the New Quilts of Northern California exhibit, be on the look out for my "Safe At Home" quilt.

Over in the SAQA exhibit, we'll be showing off some of the rejects from the now touring Prism Play show, and two (out of three) of mine will be displayed.  It was hard to say yes when they asked, but I did, so I hope you'll have a chance to check them all out.  This one above is named Aqua Centrum.

And this one is named Chartreuse Sinister.

And finally, in one of the special exhibits, Stretching Art & Tradition 24, my quilt 5-4-5-7 will be displayed.