MORE ON PADUCAH

One of my guilds has a small quilt auction coming up in November. Since I have to make something to donate, I got the idea to make a signature quilt of people well known in the quilt world. I cut freezer paper squares at 2 1/2" and made little "Indian Hatchet" blocks. I carried them around with me and if I ran into someone, I asked them to sign a block. Luckily, at a book signing, I ran into Emilie Richards, author of the "Shenandoah Series" of books with quilt names as titles, Touching Stars, Endless Chain, Wedding Ring. Also signing her book was Sieglinde Schoen Smith, and with her was her quilt Mother Earth and her Children the 2006 Winner at the IQA show in Houston. I didn't think that I would ever be lucky enough to get to see the quilt. And I for sure never thought it would be in a book booth in the basement of the convention center hanging by the back door! It is an astoundingly detailed quilt, and is a rival for my all time favorite quilt

Zena Thorpe's Magnum Opus the book of Kells. So, I got those two signatures, and Diane Gaudynski, Sharon Schamber, John Flynn, Rebecca Barker from Quiltscapes, Frieda Anderson, and Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger, a winning quiltmaking team team. I wanted Ricky Tims to sign one, but he didn't have a booth this year because he had his Workshop with Alex Anderson and Libby Lehman. Hopefully I will be able to collect some more, but if not, I will make the quilt and have it be a do it yourself signature quilt. More tomorrow...

BACK TO REALITY

Here is Zelda greeting one of the helpful Red Coat Volunteers at the AQS show. Unfortunately, I found myself weighed down with bags and things I might need, that Zelda enjoyed the show from the inside of the trunk. Then my camera battery died because I didn't think it needed charged, so no pictures on Friday. Luckily, by then I had taken pictures of quilts. I'm sorry that I can't post pictures of the quilts. It's against the AQS rules. I know that they check out this stuff. I had a photo of my OWN quilt hanging at one of the shows and they had webshots delete it.
If you ever see the woman in the purple shirt, move out of her way quickly. She is rushing to the Cherrywood booth at the Rotary Show in Paducah
She has ended at her destination. And is searching through the beautiful fabrics in the booth.

This is a shot of some people shopping at The Vendors on Kentucky Avenue. They are always in the same corner.. but I don't know for sure what the Vendor's booth name was.
Here are some of the quilts made from the fabrics that could be purchased at the booth. Very nice quilts. I like the little girl quilt. Don't need to make one, but I liked it.

These are some of the more self confident visitors to the AQS show. Even the younger members of this group had blue streaks in their hair. Their t-shirts read "Invasion of the Blue Hairs" or something similar. The lady in the middle with the bright blue 'fro'.. caught my eye.

The weather was perfect. Nice breeze, not too hot. But the sky looked ominous on Friday. Luckily, we didn't have any bad storms until night fell. This is the view from the shuttle stop towards the Convention Center

Many of the businesses in Paducah decorate their windows for the show. This is one of the creepier window dressings.

I met a nice English woman named Anne. She was a white glover on Wednesday. I went to speak to Diane Gaudynski, who made the quilt that won Best Machine Quilting (Very well deserved) and Anne was also talking to her. Anne and a group had flown over for the show. They landed in Cincinnatti and took a bus tour to Paducah. She related a funny story. At least it was funny to me. But then she told how they rushed to the museum to see the body exhibit. I can't think what it is called. But is where they take bodys apart, plasticise them, and put them on display. She said that these were Chinese bodies. Which made me cringe to think how they ended up in a post death tour. Anyway, one thing led to another, and I just thought the whole trip was funny. And as I'm typing, I guess that you would have had to be there. Maybe it was the way she related it in her sweet English Accent.

Another observation I made while at the show. American women are incredibly fat. I count myself in this group. There is a booth where a boy scout troop sells strawberry shortcake with ice cream. I was on my way to get some, and walked by lines and lines of women sitting on a curb shoveling shortcake into their mouths. It hit me then, that a majority of the women there were fat. I turned around and never got any shortcake. The only junk food I got was one lemonade, and a cheeseburger. I noticed way more heavy women on electric chairs, many more with rolling walkers, and canes. They weren't that much older than I am . I know that there are reasons to use these appliances. I have had two knee replacements in my early 40's. But I wonder how many need them because they have let themselves get so fat that they have difficulty walking. I speak from experience. Medications and surgeries and too many cookies have not been good to me. But, I know that there is a lot I can do, and will do to not be one of the fatties the next time I go to the show in Paducah. The women there were young and old. And they made me take a totally different look at how I should eat/ or should not eat. When you are there you see so many Asian women, and European women.. and they are thin. Makes me wonder what they think of us.

OFF TO PADUCAH

Zelda T. Zebra, the international quilt show traveler, will be leaving for the AQS quilt show in Paducah KY tomorrow. She expects to hobnob with the famous quilters she will meet. She has donned her vest with all of her AQS quilt show pins and thinks she will fit in with all of the other quilters that come to the show. It is supposed to be hot and rainy there, so she decided not to wear pants.
Zelda is allowing me to escort her in a manner that she has become accoustomed.. in the bottom of a bag of fabric. We will be home this weekend with many stories. Have a good week!!!

BACK TO BASICS

IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE
When growing up, my mother always had a small perculator sitting on the stove for her coffee. I was just browsing in Walmart the other day, and right there on the shelf was a Farberware stainless steel perculator. Alongside it was a 8 cup french press. What a dilema. I didn't know which to choose. I decided that since I already had a small french press, my journey to make the perfect cup of coffee would bring me to the perculator. Believe it or not, I didn't even start to drink coffee until I was almost 50. So I have never learned to make coffee in the first place.. let alone a perfect cup.. I have tried several different ways. So far getting it out somewhere is the best, but I'm coming along okay. The biggest problem is, I am still the only one in the house that drinks coffee, so I don't want to make a huge pot. I have tried a 4 cup Mr. Coffee, a French Press, the dreaded instant which works best in hot chocolate with Kaluha.. but I digress. So far, I have to say that this perked coffee has made the smoothest non bitter coffee, and I am very glad that I bought it. The only difference between my mother and me at this point is my mother only drank Maxwell House or Eight-O'Clock coffees, and I grind my own beans of a gormet blend. 

IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT RELIGION
I know, don't talk of religion or politics on the blog. but with this exception this time, I'm going to. I was brought up in a Fundamental Christian family. My parents, although religious, didn't have the zeal that some of my family members had. We were more the vacation Bible school, Easter, and Christmas church goers. I always managed to have a strong faith even as a young person. God has been there for me in good times and in bad. I was raised in a "Catholic" neighborhood. Most of my playmates went to the Catholic church and school a couple blocks away. I was always impressed by the cool religious things in their houses.. holy water fonts on their bedroom walls, rosary beads, those little lace things they wore on their heads.. I wanted to be a Catholic so bad. Being Catholic is a no-no when your family is Baptist / fundamentalist. By the time I reached the end of high school, my father had passed away, and I needed a church that I could go to regularly. I went on my own and joined an Episcopal church (Catholic lite). I remained in the church until I became engaged to my husband, a Catholic. Deciding that our whole family should be of the same religion, I converted and we raised our children in the faith. That was almost 30 years ago. All through the years I went to church with my children, spent a lot of time in the school and church. My husband seldom wanted to go as he would say " I went to chuch every day when I was growing up.. I have credit". I grew less and less enamored with the church as the years went by. Their prayers were read from books, the ceremonies were the same every week, there was no such thing as bible study. I just felt that I could no longer find God in the church. So when my kids graduated, I decided to leave the church. I still practice my Christian faith on my own, and I am very happy and fulfilled. All of this being said. I have been very touched by the Pope's visit. For some reason, I was never a fan of John Paul. But this Pope is different. He speaks of the love of Jesus Christ. I truly feel that he loves God and appears more religious than political, which if you have ever read my occasional references, in my book, religion and politics don't mix. He said something in his speech to a group of young people yesterday that really impacted me

My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion - before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror.

Of course, he is speaking of the Nazis. I look at it as modern day Political Correctness. If you are interested in reading the whole speech, this is the link
PAPAL WORDS TO YOUTH
If you are my age, you have to admit the moral decline of our country, and how bad it has become since our childhood. This decline is caused by many things, but the biggest reason, is the denial of God, whatever your faith or lack of faith.
As Pope Benedict so eloquently said:

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth's place - or better said its absence - an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a "freedom" which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ.

LITTLE THINGS

I haven't been working on much. I made a little bag for the fold up cane I keep in my car for emergencies. Luckily, I don't need to get it out often, but I thought a bag would be a nice thing to keep it in. I also made a little sock sack to carry my current sock project.

I have a lot of unfinished things to work on but it is nice to turn out a fast and easy project once in a while.

I'm getting some things ready to take to Paducah with me. It is a long drive down.. almost ten hours. I dread it every year, and it wouldn't take much for me to back out. But once I get there I'm happy that I went. I will be spending time with friends that I only see when we meet there, and just one of my friends from here is going with me this year. I don't plan on spending much money. It's going to cost a fortune for gasoline. Who knows, maybe this will be my last time, by next year gas may be $8.00 a gallon. And my paycheck isn't catching up with cost of living so far!

This quilt was made by a group of online friends, I call them my 'cyber-guild'. We have talked to each other daily for 7 years or more. We have made group quilts together before, but most of those quilts were made to give to each other or made to give to a sick child or parent. This quilt is called "All Under the Same Bright Stars" and was made for the Fons and Porter25th anniversary challenge. It was in the top group and was sent around the country to various venues. It is hanging at MQX now. We entered it and it won 3rd place in the group quilt category. Our German member, Birgit Schueller, designed and quilted it, and each of the other members pieced two stars. It was made by quilters from all over the US and Germany and Australia. Not bad for a quilt made by people who, with a few exceptions, have never met each other!

CURLY FEET

Remember in the Wizard of Oz when the house fell on the Witch of the East? When the Ruby slippers disappeared and ended up on Dorothy's feet, the witches feet curled up and disappeared under the house. Let me just say, I know EXACTLY how she feels. I decided to re-join the fitness center run by my hospital. They have a beautiful huge pool, and a warm therapy pool. I went to a water aerobics class. I fit right in with the older plump women. The only thing different with me is I LIKE to get my hair wet. I was the only one in the pool that looked like a drowned rat. Anyway, I'm bouncing along in the water and I start getting leg cramps. I attribute it to the cool water (82 degrees) . Anyway, after the class, I was looking forward to getting in the warm whirlpool so I start climbing the steps to exit the pool. That's when the witch of the east feet happened. my legs cramped and my toes curled up. I had to get back in the water because I couldn't even lift my legs to go up the shallow steps! Exercise is good for you they say... Anyway, it finally stopped, and I rested in the swirling warm water of the hot tub. My muscles still hurt today.
I am meeting with my small group tomorrow and we are working on a quilt together. I look forward to it every month. I will post some photos tomorrow!

SIGNS OF SPRING IN AMISHLAND

We went down to Amishland today, and we noticed sure signs of spring.

Land was being prepared to plant spring crops. And the air was laden with the scent of manure.
Maple syrup being collected for me to purchase this coming fall.

Sweet children at recess. On the other side of the schoolhouse was an informal baseball game. Here's the thing I notice between Amish children, and "normal" American children. These children know how to play. I don't know if you notice, but there are two little girls on the swing. One is sitting, and one is standing. They were swinging really high with the look of great joy on their faces. We have become so cautious, that we are constantly in fear our children will get hurt. Pads all over with roller skates, helmets if you want to ride a bicycle, no swings in our playgrounds.. at least none that I have seen lately. Our kids stare at computer screens, and can't entertain themselves. When you drive through this area on a Saturday during warm weather, you see whole families playing baseball. Parents aren't loading up their buggies driving kids to baseball practice every night. There aren't formal teams. No screaming competitive adults. They actually know how to play the game for fun. They way it used to be. The older I get, the more I long for the "good old days".

On another front, I am losing my touch. I went to my favorite fabric store, and this is all I bought.

But, on the "bright" side, my favorite yarn shop is closing, and I picked up a few things at a discount.
I bought these Koigu skeins to make these socks.
Sorry for the blurry pictures, this is Jitterbug sock yarn.
I got some sportweight cream yarn for a possible second set of Fiddlehead mittens. A couple of little skeins of pink angora for some booties, and some more Koigu in a yellow/lime and a dusky purple.

I've been looking for the pattern for "Pop up Paws" and I am happy that I found this last one. I got this pattern for a Lily of the Valley Shawl, and some blocking wires. And one Addi Turbo circular lace needle. I wish I had remembered to take my list with me, I would have bought some more, but I couldn't recall what I already had..

I really don't need any more yarn. I just couldn't pass up this last chance to visit the store. I am off to Paducah on the 23rd. Plenty of shopping opportunities there. I hope that this shopping lull lasts through the end of the month.. Have a good weekend!!