Monday, July 2, 2012

Seattle and back

I've been away from blogging -  12 days in Seattle and then recovery time back home catching up on all the little things that were left hanging.  So here is a quick run down of some highlights of the trip:

SEATTLE!
Our son's graduation: Master of Architecture, UWashington.





















Wedding quilt reveal to my nephew and niece.  I felt like a sleazy trader because I gave it to them and took it back.  It came home with me to be quilted, etc.  But they were good about it and very excited. They even slept under it one night.







"Hurricane" by Carol Taylor
The Quilt and Textile Museum in La Conner had an exhibit by Carol Taylor, which was beautiful and very inspiring. There was another art quilt exhibit 














Meeting LeeAnn of NiftyQuilts for lunch. The waiter had to "wait" for our order.  We were so busy talking quilts that we didn't look at the menu for a long while.  LeeAnn took me to her office and showed me a few of her quilts she had hanging there.  Beautiful!  Darn... I forgot my camera that day.

Meeting Sharon K. of Indigo Threads.  I spent the morning with her at the Bellevue Art  Museum looking at the exhibit of African-American Quilts - Bold Expressions -  that had just opened.  The quilts were so intriguing and bold in color, style, fabric. We were commenting so much that the docents  came over and asked us questions about quilting, as they didn't really know much about the craft.    In many ways the quilts resembled some of the Gee's Bend quilts, but they came from all over the South... including Indiana!  Sharon and I and my husband had lunch together and then went to the Quilt shop in Bellevue before making our way back to our son's house.  Pictures not allowed at the museum, but Sharon posted about the visit and included some pictures from the exhibit catalogue.

Visited the Quilting Loft in Ballard and found some 108" gray with dark gray polka dotted fabric that will back the wedding quilt. Score!  I wasn't looking forward to having to piece the backing for this one.... way too big.

 We did a bit of sight seeing, too, but I won't bore you with all that.

and BACK!

Since I've been home it seems as though I've been living in the sewing room.  Lots of boring stuff... like piecing batting for the wedding quilt, cutting the binding strips, etc.


I have had a chance to play, too.   I saw a posting by Kathy Loomis on andthenwesetitonfire. She provided a tutorial on piecing really thin strips of fabric into background fabric.   I had to try.  I don't know where I am going with this, but I like it.












Now I am packing - I'll be away from the computer for a long while.  Going to Maine to our island off the coast near Milbridge.  No electricity - no computer - no sewing machine.  I will be hand quilting, as I have lots of projects waiting for that, so I will be busy but just a bit out of touch.  See you all in September!

Happy 4th and Happy Summer and may you take many stitches too.