Category Archives: 100 day Challenge

100 day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Granite and Silver, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Poppy Field, Scrap Happy Quilts, Sisterhood of the Scissors

Inching Forward

Hello-
I hope everyone is doing well as we head into the last few weeks of Aug.    I am just working away one day at a time on my projects.   Sometimes that is all one is doing.    My big excitement for this week a quick trip down to New York City by bus with Liz to see the Virtual Van Gogh show.   I really liked the interactive “rooms” that were set up so one could go into the paintings.   Liz and I got silly and she tried to throw me into the insane asylum at one point.   It was a beautiful experience  and I enjoyed it very much. We walked a few blocks from the display to the World Trade Center Memorial and enjoyed that as well. We followed that by a quick trip back north to the bus terminal and back on the bus at 5:30 for the rid home. It was all a bit of a whirl wind trip but is sure was wonderful.
I had two Zoom meetings this week too. One with the Pixies and a second with the Sisterhood of the Scissors. Bother were good stimulations for me.

Progress Report: Poppy Field This work is 34.5″ w X 43″ l. I made the big poppies at the bottom out of wool roving with thread drawing to hold it all together. The centers are yo-yo’s with beads added to the centers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granite and Silver The Silver Maple leaves resting on the granite are a great contrast.    The idea is from  a old cover of Adirondack Life magazine. I painted the base with a rubber band brush to get the texture and added nylon net to create shows on the stone, with the leaves on top.   It is a very shallow image.

 

 

Scarp Happy I am having fun doing the rows for this project.

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt # 16 I started to do stitch in the ditch quilting on this work today. I am sure I will finish it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Lap quilt # 17 This is number  two on the   current assembly process.   I like building the units and then uniting them.

 

 

 

 

100 Days Project I am up to day 71. Today is actually day 73 so I am behind myself I will need to do a few extra later today.

 

Daily Practice This small wipe up rag will be done soon.

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories- Christmas 1965
We enjoyed a bit of rock hunting at a ranch and then drove on to Big Ben National Park. The camping that night was in a very empty campground. Lots of evergreens in the area and almost every other tree supported a bit of mistletoe. Christmas morning started with a good breakfast and a few gifts. I got a ID Bracelet that I had been hoping for and a beautiful hair piece. I then realized why Gene had wanted a lock of my hair in Nov.     I wore the hair piece a lot when I went back to work as it was a perfect color match.      We    then hit the visitors center, were they had a hug Century Plant decorated with Christmas balls. We went on from  to get our first view of the Rio Grand. The shore was sandy, the water was muddy and there were steep bluffs on both sides. We saw fossils imbedded in the canyon walls. We walked down the canyon a bit and came upon a young man who would take one across the river on the back of his burro for a dime. So on Christmas day we all rode across the river on the back of a mule. We climbed the bluff toward a small village. In the process we were “ attached” by a bunch of bambinos” selling rocks. Grandma and Grandpa both purchased a pockets  full  of useless rocks, but I am sure that the process made the kids day. The town was dusty and very poor. There was a small open school building, scattered mud huts and a saloon. It was sad. The next day we went east and visited a country store. Dad brought us all soda pop that we enjoyed in the heat. We cross the Rio Grand a second time- this time by row boat. On the Mexican side were steps up the bluff and we emerged into a more substantial town. First we came across some men making pack saddles. This village had streets that were packed dirt and many more buildings. There were lots of active people doing business. There was a small church and a water pump in front of it. There was a wooden school house that I went into. There were benches and a chalk board but nothing else. I had my sketchbook and soon tried out the little bit of Spanish I could remember from 3ed grade on some children. Some how I got to asking them their ages. I would write the number and then turn it into one of the cartoon characters that I had created for my Honor Society speech. The kids were thrilled and I folded pages and tore them out and gave them to the kids until I had use all my paper. I didn’t  see much of the town, but I did have a good time.    That night we camped again in Big Bend in a different camp ground. The following day we drove east out of the park and crossed the boarder a third time on a bridge this time. The town was very prosperous. We did lots of shopping there. I perched a famous Mexican Bandit Marionette that wore a sombrero, black flannel suit that sported a white zig-zag trim down the legs and had a six shooter in each hand. Mom purchased me a beautiful turquoise and purple poncho that I loved.    Grandmother got all three kids sombreros. As it turned out, I think our younger cousins, Casey and Curtis ended up with them when we got back to Grandview. My favorite purchase was a guitar that I got for $6.00. I spent hours trying to learn how to play it. But the thing would not hold tuning. The neck kept bending under the pressure of tuning to the point were the strings and the neck were so far apart that one could put there index finger between the strings and the frat board at the bottom and not touch either surface. After our shopping we returned to the states and drove north. Our Next stop was the Alamo. Gene and I had seen the movie and were a bit disappointed. It was much smaller then I expected and being in the middle of the city with big tall buildings all round made it seem even smaller. It sure made me realize how much Hollywood played with reality. We continued north and stopped at Platt National Park, one of the nations smaller parks. It was too cold to wade in the river, but Gene and Danny threw lots of rocks in the river. Crossing Kansas and Missouri we arrived back in Iowa. Dad and Mom went to see Grandpa Merit, but Gene and I did not. Then it was another 12 hour day drive back to Muncie and School the next morning.

Stay safe

Carol Boyer

100 day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Finger Lakes Fiber Artist Group, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Poppy Fields, Scrap Happy Quilts

Summer Days

Hello,

We are feeling the heat of summer here this week.   I am not complaining as it is very mild compared to some forks – but unique for us this early in the season.    We continue to walk in the  early  morning and we have shortened our route to adjust.    These  wild grapes are a sure sign that summer is still producing her bounty.

 

 

 

 

It has been a full week.  On Saturday the Finger Lakes Fiber Artist meant live for the first time in months. was very exciting and folks had lots to share and talk about. Pat had two pieces and they were very fun, active and bright.

 

 

 

 

Susan came with her work from a on line class she had taken with Joe Cunningham.

 

 

 

 

 

Bev brought the piece that was in the Made in New York show. Good to get a second look.

 

Maureen had a wonderful collection of her hand dyed scarves  along with several other works.

 

 

 

 

Mary brought her fabric baskets.   Great fun.

 

 

 

Sharon showed her latest work and a few of her new cards. It was a great meeting and I think everyone came away super charged.
I also did a Zoom meeting with the Pixies and a live meeting with the Retired Art Teachers.

 

 

Yesterday, Liz and I mad a trip to our friend Paul’s house to drop off out quilts for him to do his Photography magic. We both want to enter some shows.

We visited our friend Angela’ new house that is under construction. She is looking forward to the completion of this wonderful kitchen/ dining room/living room. I love her view too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Lap Quilt # 15 This work is 40″w X 70″ l. I really enjoyed doing the drawing of the trees to add interest and quilt in some of the bigger areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 16 I just keep playing with these projects. I will deliver 15 to one of our local nursing homes soon.

 

 

 

 

Poppy Field I am still building more thread painted blossoms for this project.

 

 

 

100 Day Challenge Here is the next batch of finished pieces. I am up to day 72 now.

 

 

 

Granite and Silver This work is on level two of its building. The granite base is just about done. I plan to add silver maple leaves on top when this step is complete.

 

 

 

Daily Practice The hand work just keeps moving forward here. I think I will complete this bit of fabric in the next day or two.

 

 

Scrap Happy    I started a new scrap happy because I gave away the one i had  to a refugee family from Banqualadash.      I also gave away two more for their children.   Glad to find homes for them.     I like to keep a scrap happy  on the shelf for just such events.   These are just the strips before they are cut into squares .

Childhood Nov/Dec 1965
When we got home from Iowa in 1965, Gene started pestering me for a lock of my hair. I resisted a while, but finally gave in and cut a small section from the middle of the back. School was a busy and fun as ever and the work picked up at the Student Center, so Dec flew bye. We got a letter from the Dean Family and a second from the Bells saying that a trip to Texas was not going to happen for either family at that time. I was disappointed, but everyone has a life of their own. We celebrated our Christmas before we left for Iowa as usual. Gene and I got Walkie talkies so we could communicate between vehicles on the trip. We were excited about that. When we went got to Iowa we went with Grandmother to visit Grandpa Merit in the hospital. He had lost a lot of weigh and did not look as robust as he had in the past. He begged to come home, and Grandmother reluctantly refused. She just could not care for him. It was heart braking. Our family went forward with our travel plans and got up at 4 and drove to Grandview were we waited for Grandma and Grandpa to get going. It was snowing and cold, but we got going with cousin Danny driving the Van and following us. The Walkie talkies worked and it was great fun. After lunch time Grandmother Ruth joined us and Gene went to the van. Mom moved to the back seat with me. We drove south west all day and stopped at a run down motel in Kansas. It reminded Grandfather of the ones he ran next to the Station in Grandview. We moved our sleeping bags inside and slept on the floor of the room that night. It was still a bit cold. We continued to drive south most of Tuesday too. There was one stop to do a tour of a Cotton Refining Factory. It was fascinating to see all the steps from removal of the seeds from the cotton balls to the spinning of the thread. The air was full of cotton fluff. I remember being amazed at how red the soil was in that area. Wednesday as another day spent mostly on the road seeing lots of oil derricks pumping away before the scenery gave way to catus and lots of yucca plants growing on the genital hills. We did arrive at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and camped. It was warm and pleasant that night. We spent the whole day doing the full tour of the Cavern the next day. It was specular with wonderful formations . We saw lots of stalactites and stalagmites as well as cave straws and what the guide called popcorn formations. We went on a boat ride on an underground river and ate lunch at the underground lunchroom. Ham and cheese sandwiches I think. The guide turned off the lights and although Mom was setting next to me, it was so dark and quiet it was like no one in the world existed but me. We even saw mummified bats before we exited the cave. It was great! We loaded up and started driving east into Texas. At that time we got caught in a wind storm that blew huge tumble weeds as big as the car across the road. It was like a big game of dodgeball for a while.  Exciting and scary at the same time. Our next stop was Judge Roy Bean’s office/salon/courtroom. Langtree was almost a ghost town with the exception of the saloon and the tourist store. We did the talk/tour of the Lilly Langtree Saloon. It was about the size of a half basketball court like one sees in a park, with tables at one end and a bar at the other. The guide explained how Bean was the law
“West of the Pacos”. He   used the bar as his court room and would close the bar for court  actions  .  He was know to change fines that  that took most of the person cash. If they could not pay and sense there was no jail, he would chain them to a log out back  for the night. As soon as the case was complete the bar opened and jurors were expected to by a drink. On a shelf behind the bar was Bean’s law book. I did purchase some little carved turquoise heats in the store and glued them to a bracelet that I had purchased at Carlsbad. Mom got a very nice silver bracelet that I still have.

Stay Safe

Carol

100 day Challenge, 100 Day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Diva Meetings, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group

Home again

Hello,
I hope August is full filling everyone’s expectations. I sure like the many flowers that are blooming this year.

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed my trip to Maine. Marty and I always have a good time together and this year was no different. We visited with Elizabeth Bush and she was busy making winter hats for children. We talked and ate well enjoying each others company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way home Marty and I stopped at the Fenimore Art Museum and spent a few hours in the Native American art display. This is my favorite mask this time. We really enjoyed the baskets as well.

 

 

 

 

 

I went along with Noel to the Diva meeting at Cheri’s this week and we had a lively discussion. This work is by Maureen. She dose beautiful hand dyeing with natural materials. I also made it to the Pixie Zoom meeting yesterday.

I am doing a bit of cleaning and passing forward this stack of lap sized quilts to folks who are confined to wheel chairs.

My being away means there is not a lot to share.

100 Day Project For this one I did make progress. There are two shots for two weeks. I am still two days behind, but they are cut and pinned just not sewn yet.

 

 

 

Lap # 15 I did the stitch in the ditch quilting on this work this week. I will move on later with t free motion trees to out line the ones I printed and add new ones in the big areas.

 

 

 

New Lap I just pulled and pinned up these to see if they work together for the next one. I also sorted out some old quilts to add to the quilts that I plan to pass to wheel chair folks. This is the stack

 

 

 

Daily Practice   I am enjoying doing hand work.  I find it very calming.

 

 

Childhood Memories- Adolescence – Fall Senior Year 1965

My Senior year was a full and active one. I continued to participate in Band, the Math Club and Choirs. I also added Orbal our literary magazine to my list of organizations along with Thespians.. There was also all the social stuff. It seemed like we talked a lot about values and how to have a better culture. Viet Nam was getting to be an issue in the news and that also entered into many conversations. One of my friends John Conley did join the army at the end of the senior year. He was the youngest in his family and although loved farming he knew that he would not inherit the family farm. He did go to Viet Nam. We corresponded then that stopped abruptly. I learned later that was because he died there. I had one short romance with Keith Johnson, a Jr in the band he played the saxophone. He was far to physical and “fast” for me at that time. I was not ready for the heavy necking that he wanted. But exploration was part of growing up.
I got my first real job in September. After securing my work permit I started in the Dinning Service at the Student Center on Campus. After two weeks of work I got my first pay check of $26.00. Only $21 after taxes. The job as mostly serving tables at banquets and then working in the dish room cleaning up afterwards. No orders, checks or tips. I quickly learned how to balance a tray of eight plates on my shoulder and get it safely down to the rest without a spill. I got good at that job and could work every evening if I had wanted. I also was quickly tapped to work in the Orrer Room for small intimint dinners of 12 and under. That seemed very easy after doing three tables of eight and ten in the big dinning room. I was a good way to meet kids outside my school environment. I really enjoyed one young man with red hair and frekels named Tom Sawyer. He was a real comic too. I got to serve the head table when our senator Birch Bye, was at one fund raiser there. Yes, I did break a few dishes( always in the clean up process) and my feet were sore when I got home many nights, but I really did enjoy the job. I held that job until I was a Jr in collage at Ball State when I exchanged that job for teaching assistant in the art department.
The classes kept me busy, what with English, Speech, Math, Physics, Economics and Civics. There was also the SAT test in the fall. In the spring I was inducted into the Honor Society. For my incitation presentation I did a demonstration on how one could turn numbers into cartoon characters. For example a 6 could easily become a horses head.
At Thanksgiving time we went home to Iowa as usual to the family feast and time with the cousins. The meal was much the quieter than in the past with out the McElhinney clan because Grandpa Merit was ill. No Oyster casserole that year. Grandpa had black lung from the grain dust, but we did not learn that until later. He had sold his prize heard of regerstered Black Angus and on the Friday after Thanksgiving men came and loaded them into trucks and drover away. I remember seeing Grandfather standing at the living room window with out making a sound while big tears ran down his face as he watched his dream drive away. My father pulled me away to let his father have the time to him self. When we went to Grandview at that time we made a plan to go to Texas and Big Bend National park at Christmas with all the families.

Stay safe

Carol

100 day Challenge, Blue Butterfly, Broken Blocks, Childhood Memories, Daily Practice, Lap Quilts, Pixies Group, Poppy Fields, Smoldering

Quiet Times

Hello,
Summer keeps putting forth her bounty. I was captured by these forming apples that I noticed on my walk today. It seems like the blossoms were on the tree just a few weeks ago. It has been a quiet week this week with only the Pixie meeting. Even that was short one member due to the fact that she is in the hospital. We are all sending good vibes in her direction for a fast recovery. This week however was one with lots of studio time and so I finished up lots of work.

Progress Report: Blue Butterfly This work is 37″ w X 50″ l. I changes my mind on this work after I had started it. I like the hand altered fabrics to much that I decided to add the butterfly on top turning it from a lap quilt into an wall piece. I did the insect on wash away so that the fabrics would still show through. Then I added more quilting after watching Joe Cunningham’s Face Book post were he was suggesting that the quilting was an additional design space to use to add interest to ones work. So I quilted in more butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoldering This work is 33.5″w X 40″l. This work in my sad response to the new 80+ wild fires burning in the west. It is so heart breaking.
I hand dyed the smoldering ground fabric last summer. It did not work in my piece on the wild fires that I did last year, so this time it was my starting place.

 

 

Fallen This work is 30.5″w X 43″ l. I thought this work was finished last week, but after a second hard look I realize it did not do the job. I added the dragonfly to make a strong center of interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #13 This work in 37″ w X 52 “ l. I keep making these fun small quilts to use my altered fabrics and explore techniques. I applied Joe’s idea to the quilting here too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lap Quilt # 14   Broken Blocks (Tutorial )With is work I was playing with a limited color pallet and 14 basic blocks for my start. After stacking the blocks into two stacks I sliced them diagonally.

 

 

 

Next step was to shuffle the units and recombine them. I repeated that step holding two blocks out of the process. These last two blocks were sliced in half vertically and set aside.

 

 

 

 

After sewing all the units into blocks again I lined them up into four rows, I added a half block into each row so there were no vertical seam lines.

Then I connected the blocks into four rows and then into a top.

 

 

 

Lap Quilt #15 I am building a new lap quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poppies I continue to make more blossoms for the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New work I decided I wanted to do a new leaf quilt. I built this whole cloth base to look like Granite. I used one of the brushes that I made earlier this year as a part of the Pixie Challenge to do the painting. Great fun.

Daily Practice I finished two more units this week.

 

 

100 Days I am now at day fifty two. It is still a fun challenge.

 

 

 

Drawing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adolescence Summer 1965

The summer after the hospitalization   sunner was a bit quieter then in the past. I did summer school but not as much swimming and such as the summer before. I did enjoy my time with the band gang. Summer band was a bit different as the group participated in more competitions. We even won a first place in one of them. We did the county fair stuff as in the past too. In Aug Gene and I went to Iowa for a few weeks before Mom and Dad. Grandmother Ester took us off to a different church camp then in the past as it was only a morning thing. In the afternoons she and I worked on sewing up some new clothing for school. She helped me make three dresses that were all the same pattern but with validations in fabric, neck openings and sleeves , they appeared different. I remember helping Grandmother Ruth clean out the Flour House that was at the back of Aunt May’s house. It was called the Flour House because when the train went through town flour was stored in the building. The building was snug and full of old stuff. One of the treasures was a horse drawn sled. Grandmother said it was the sled that Grandfather Howard took her out in at Christmas time to see Hailey’s Comet and purpose to her in 1911. There were was a strange electronic devise that we called “the Brain Machine”. Grandfather had taken it in trade for gas during the depression and the man never retrieved it. The cabinet was mahogany with two electrodes on the top. When one opened the folding doors on the front they revealed a series of nobs and dials above each was a little screens containing numbered dials with little needles that one could adjust when the thing was plugged in. On the doors inscribed on brass plates were the instructions on what dials to adjust for different illnessnesses, like headache, back problems, arthritis and rheumatism. And of course brain illnesses. One was suppose to put a finger from each hand on the electrodes and get a mild current/ shock to cure you. Mom said she was sure it did nothing- except excite one into believing things were better for a while. I got to take home some old photos albums full of old tin types that Grandmother told me that again, they were traded for gas. There was a collection of old Iowa auto licence plates from 1933. She said grandpa Gast had purchased them to patch the barn roof and these were the leftovers. I still have one.
We went from Grandview north to Wisconsin and on into Minnesota to do our family vacation in the land of 1,000 lakes. We had the canoe and we rented a second for the water part of the  trip. We were along the US and Canadian boarder, crossing back and forth several times. For the whole week we did not see  or hear another person. It was wonderful with lots of portages and camping on islands. The moss on the ground was about four inches thick in places and sponge. Gene and Dad both had fishing permits so we ate lots of fish. We saw many red squirrels and a flying squirrel too. I loved the many calls of the loons that we heard mostly at dusk and dawn.   For the first time I really saw the Milky Way and believed that there were more stars in the sky then one could count. There were lots of insects too- but not a lot of misquotes. It did rain on us one day and so we spent the day in the tent lounging and reading. We hiked to several water falls as well. The water was cold but we did swim a bit every day or so. It was a very calm and quiet week and what I imagine the whole country was when the native americans were its inhabitants . Our trip was the week of the Watt Riots, but with our insolation, we only learned of that disastrous event when we got home.

Have a good week and there will be no entry for next week as I will be away.

Stay safe

 

Carol

100 day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Curvie Cuts, Daily Practice, Drawing, Fallen, Smoldering

Perception

Hello,
Summer is in full swing here in central New York. On my walk I saw a deer this morning and noticed that I have a double blossom on one of my Day Lilies. One needs to keep their eyes open to perceive the world. We seem to live in a world of lines, both strait and curved. Our buildings are mostly sharp edges and lots of squares and  rectangles. To balance that we often add shrubs and trees that have curved lines.     Most roads are laid out in strait lines  with curves that are created mostly by the landscape.     For the most part here in the west we do not live with may circles like the beautiful moon gates of the orient or the curved onions of the middle east domes. I wonder if there is any   cultural  reason for our preferences or are we just familiar with them?
It was a quiet week for me. I did a zoom with the Pixies and Liz and I spent a day dying. We did a progression emersion dying process. Turquoise to Orange. I learned a lot and we plan to try it again later this summer.

Progress Report: Fallen I did finish applying the leaves to the surface and I washed the quilt in the washing machine. I like how washing frayed open  the cuts to reveal the layers of cloth beneath.  I now need to add a focal point to this work.

Smoldering I am stitching/quilting this work now. The process is slow as I am trying to spend more time looking at the work as I go along.

 

 

Butterflies I finished the machine drawing of the butterfly and I sewed him down to the quilt base. I am now in the process of quilting in butterflies  around the big one with  thread.

 

100 Days I am moving along on this project. Today is day 45. I am starting to play a bit more with how I might arrange them.

 

 

Daily Practice I finished another square this week and started a new one last night.

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing I just keep doing a drawing every day or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adolescence Spring trip II

We went to the White House on the Tues morning of our Spring Trip. The line  wrapped around the outside of the building along the black wrought iron fence and  it took an hour to get to the door. Rooms were huge and I recognized a few details from the TV tour that Mrs Kennedy had done a few years earlier. We then went off to the Treasury Building were we looked at counterfeit currency and got to see a real 100,00.00 dollar bill. There was also a exhibit of how folks had mutilated bills and a second exhibit of sculptures made by folding bills . I remember a bird and a dollar car. Next stop was the National Aquarium. I enjoyed the sea turtles the most. The National Aquarium is no longer in DC, but in Baltimore. After a light lunch we went back to the Smithsonian again. We visited the Space exhibit and saw Freedom 7 and Friendship 7. I was surprised that the capsule was smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle. We also checked out some amazing doll houses full of beautiful hand made furniture.
> Wednesday was our day to do history outside DC. We went to Fredericksburg first. Gene and I did look for bullets in one of the battle fields after reading a sign that said folks could still find them- but we were not successful. We then went to Williamsburg. We checked out the visitors center and enjoyed a historical movie about THE area. It was my first experience with a living history museum, and I liked all the colonial dress. We went to the Hatters, a Cabinetmakers shop and an Apothecary  shop. There was a demonstration going on across the green from where we were on the use of long guns. Gene and I started out running toward the location and one of the guns was fired. I know I changed direction in mid air, I was so startled. The demo was interesting when we got there. Next stop was the National Seashore and Cape Hatteras. We stopped at Kitty Hawk, first with a stop at the little museum. They had a model of the Wright Brothers plane that I found a bit flimsy to my way of thinking.  Good use of wire though.   We checked out the light house and then did a little beach combing. The water was too cold to even wade in, but we had fun building sand castles and collecting shells. I even found a sword from a swordfish. I remember that the wind was blowing so hard that the tops of the waves were blown backward . It was a nice restful day for us.
> When we got up and we started home, I was not feeling well. I could not get cooled down, but I did fall asleep until we blew a tire. When we got home I went straight to bed and did not feel any better on Sunday. Monday morning found me weak and I stayed home from school. I was still running a temperature in the afternoon. I do not know how or what happened next, but two days later I woke up with a clear head in isolation in Ball Memorial Hospital. I had Hepatitis and was one sick    yellow puppy. I was in the hospital for two weeks. Mom and Dad both came and visited me , but had to remain outside in the hall outside  the room. The room was just above the bay were the ambulances delivered their patients and near the end of my stay I sometimes learned out the window and talked to the drivers while they waited. No one else in the family got sick . I was Still weak when I was allowed to go home. I got steadily better, but I was very tired. I read Oliver Twist, Beowulf, and Return of the Native in that time. After six weeks I was allowed to go back to school for two hours every day to take English and History class. I can’t say that I know much about American History from 1900 to 1950. I did pass into my Senior year and I was well enough by June to go to summer school. My best friend Margaret and I took Art and Music Appreciation together. I remember going to the cemetery with her one hot summer afternoon to do our sketchbook assignments for Mr Carr. I recovered fully over the course of the summer.
Stay Safe  and keep your eyes open

Carol

 

 

100 day Challenge, Childhood Memories, Craow Calling, Daily Practice, Diva Meetings, Drawing, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Fallen, Hand work, Lap Quilts

Summer Travel

Hello-
I hope folks had a good Forth of July.  We sure had lots of fireworks in our area.   I enjoyed my trip to Ohio to see a lost cousin. She really showed us around her area and I enjoyed the covered bridges of her county. We saw the longest one in the country and it is also a double bridge as the long one  is on top of a gully with a smaller covered  foot bridge underneath it at tht bottom of the gully.

Liz ans I dyed on Monday. I will try to wash them out tomorrow. I also had two Zooms meetings- the QuEGs group and Pixies. In addition I had two live meetings. The Quilt Diva’s meant at Cheri’s house and we made lots of decisions about the up coming show in Sept.

The FAB group meant as well. Patti brought her little loom and she worked the whole meeting adding a few inches to her scarf. Sharon shared her new project with lots of little units that she will build to float on top of a quilt base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Dark Side of the Moon 40″ w X 59″ l. This work in made mostly from kimono fabrics that Noel gave to me. It is a mixture of machine quilting and hand work.

 

 

 

 

 

The hand work is in the center of the metallic circles.

 

 

 

Calling Crows 36″ w X 52.5″ l. I drew all five of the bird panels. They are done with colored pencils and crayons. Again the silk is from Noel. I quilting flying crows in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fallen This work is an experiment. Sharon kindly talked me through the technique on the phone. I did not fully get it as she told me she would not have done what I did if it had been hers. But not knowing what to do never stopped me when it comes to quilting. It goes off to the washer now with the hope of lots of fraying so the cuts show up.

Smoldering  Sense California is again  experiencing wildfires, I am doing a new piece on this topic. It is the early aftermath that I am focusing on this time. This work is only about half pinned in place.

 

 

 

Butterfly-  lap quilt  I am still doing the thread painting of the Butterfly to be applied to the top when it is done.

 

 

100 Day Challenge I keep using the sports images from the news paper for my inspirations for this project. I did a few extra this week so I am showing work up to day 40 and we are only 38 days into the challenge. But I know that my week end will be a busy one and I do not like to play catch up.

 

 

Daily Practice I finished one more panel am I am ready to start a new one now.

 

 

Drawing I keep putting in time on this project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adolescence- Spring trip to Washington D C

The year I was a Jr in high school the family trip was to Washington D C. We started out early on a snowy morning and entered the Applications after a long day of driving. I was struck by how much iron was present in the mountains and how many pine trees there were. We had intended to stay in Shenandoah National Park, but found it was closed. So we drove farther east and camped on the side of the road. We got up to more snow that melted quickly as the day warmed up. Our first visit was to Mt Vernon. It was a big estate with rooms that I saw as smaller then I expected it was a very big complex  however.   No mention of a black presence in 1965. From there we went to Arlington National Cemetery were we visited the Thumb of the Unknown Solder. The guards looked smart in their matching pattern. Then we went of to check out the Eternal Flame at John Kennedy’s grave sight. The vast fields of white crosses sure brought home the costs of war to me. Everything is so close together that going to Lincoln Memorial was an easy next step. I was most impressed by the carving of Lincoln’s hands.  We then  went  along the reflecting pool up to the Washington Moment.   We climbed all 66 flights of stairs with 18 steps in each flight to get to the top. It only took Gene and I 16 min. to get to the bottom when we when down. Mom and Dad followed much more slowly. Our next stop was the Capital building. I found the Rotunda to be much bigger than I expected and both the House and Senate to be smaller. Mom remained to check out me that The Freedom Lady sculpture on the top as we walked away. We  started for the campground we got a little lost and went in circles around the building complex several times before heading home. Dad accidently ran a red light and there were four policemen on the corner. The did not stop us- Mom guessed that they saw the Indiana license plate and let it slide. We camped that night in a small camp ground called Prince Edward. I wonder if it is still there. Tuesday we got up and went back into Washington DC to do the Smithson. I enjoyed the special exhibit of “Animals in Art” a lot.   I did a drawing of  sculpture of a mother chimp cuddling her young one.    We saw lots of manufacturing equipment along with lots of old automobiles. In the Natural History Museum Mom and I spent two hours in the basement and only did about half. We did the ground level after lunch and saw a Blue Whale , the Hope Diamond,  Witch Dr Masks and a great collection of shrunken heads. By 4:30 we all had “museum feet” and pilled into the car and drove to the Air Port to watch plains take off and detox a bit. We rested  and then went to the National Archives building. The Constatation had a place of honor in the rotunda along with the other founding documents. We walked right up to them and could easily read them thought the glass. I was a surprised by how yellow the paper was and how faded the ink. One could purchase copies in a little kiosk near the door but we did not.   The day was full and we all slept well that night.

Stay safe

Carol