Mushrooms 2017

As I've mentioned, I do enjoy walking about taking photos.  It's a kind of meditation and mindfulness for me.

We let our yard grow fairly wild, very wild in places.  The lawn area has so much "other" besides grass that we've taken to calling it a meadow.  There is lots of clover.  Lots of violets.  There is Queen Anne's Lace, which we let grow up tall in some places and mow in others.  There is oxalis.  There is usually plantain, though as I write this, I'm thinking that I haven't seen much this year.  This time of the year, there are little Black Eyed Susans in amongst the Queen Anne's.  For several years we had an expanding fairy ring of mushrooms.  I planted wild geranium and ferns when we moved in, and those have expanded.  There are many other things that I can't name.

Eclipse 2017

Eclipse. I saw it. Totality. So amazing! More amazing than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be amazing.

We picked Paducah, KY, for our eclipse watching destination, as any self-respecting quilter would do.  The exhibits at the National Quilt Museum are so thoughtful and beautifully displayed.  It's so heartwarming to have this institution preserving and promoting the creativity and successes of our dedicated quilt artists.   

19th Century Toddler's Outfit

Well, so, a friend told me she'd found a box in the attic with this long forgotten outfit.  Her mom gave it to her more than a few years ago.  She got no information from her mother about it.  It's in pretty sad shape, so .... she thought I might want it.  Hee, hee.

It's so hard for me to say to no to an antique gift!  So I said yes.  I think super fragile pieces like this still have value in the "study collection" realm, as examples of clothing construction techniques of the past.

My Grandpa

 

Last week, I spent some time with a friend, researching her family on Ancestry, and finding some exciting things.  I was therefore inspired to do some more poking around in my own family files.  I discovered this delightful photo of my maternal grandfather in his senior yearbook at Purdue Univ.  He studied electrical engineering.  I have his Purdue class ring and other wonderful mementos.   He's the dapper fellow on the left.   I learned a few things - he played mandolin and his nickname was Mike.  Wonder how they got that from Maurice Henry?   He died when I was only 4, but I remember him clearly and the wonderful grandpa games he played with me.   I would go in their closet, he would knock on the door, and when I, being the housewife, opened the door, I never knew what kind of person he'd be portraying, milkman, window washer, salesman....   Such fun!  There's a 1950s game for ya!

Iowa-Illinois Quilt Study Group

I'm just home from my third happy visit to Kalona, IA, to revel in quilts and quilt history.  I highly recommend this group!  The 2-day meetings are graciously hosted twice a year by the Kalona Quilt & Textile Museum.  The photo above is part of the frieze of quilt blocks that decorates the front porch of the Museum.  (On the same grounds are the Kalona Historical Village and the Iowa Mennonite Museum & Archives, also well worth a visit.)  And the people who come are the warmest, most welcoming bunch I've ever walked into.

This time, the programs were presented by Margo Krager, proprietor of my favorite place to buy fabrics for my quilt repairs - Reproduction Fabrics.  I always say that one of my favorite things is to be in the presence of someone who has found their niche, absolutely loves what they do, and radiates that love and excitement to everyone around.  Margo is one such person!  She has been researching fabric history for 25 years, has tons of knowledge about fabric and dye history, and is super generous in sharing what she knows.

Color and Light

I do love walking around with my phone/camera, i.e. tiny magic box that can do anything.  ;-)

The other day, I was leaving my friend Julia's place, after picking up a big blue Ikea bag of full vintage clothes to mend for her shop.  This time, there's nothing tricky, a selection of wonderful items with just open seams, missing buttons, loose sequins, and such.

This little view caught my eye on my way out the door.  I've always loved the green stone pot, seeing as how I love green and have a pretty extensive collection of interesting stones that I pick up wherever I go.  The landlord's choice of planting this year is spectacular, and the low, late afternoon sun added its highlighting.

Signature Presentation Quilt

This sweet quilt is as old as I am.  This somehow makes me very happy.

The block is known as Album Quilt, with a white, center rectangle just perfect for showing off a signature.  It has a clever and interesting way to finish a quilt with blocks set on point, but it sure did make the rebinding process much trickier!