C'est la vie

Paducah 2010.  What more can I say.  If you haven't ever been to the "big mother of all quilt shows", think about treating yourself one day.  It is another world.  As expected, I didn't win a ribbon, but that's OK, cuz I am honored just to see my big  Orange Hibiscus hanging there.  That's not all I am gonna say about it though.  Does anyone ever get a "kick" out of the judges comments?  It never fails to amuse me when I read their critiques.  Just to show you what I mean, I'm going to write these down for all to see.  Here goes:

Best Feature(s):
1.  Flow from light to dark
2.  Variety in scale of fabric prints

Area(s) to Improve:
1. Flowers get lost on busy background
2:  Machine tension

Okay, some of this is really confusing to me.  The judges liked the variety in scale of fabric prints, but seemed to think that the flowers were lost.  Maybe because I created this thing,  I have no trouble seeing the flowers or the blooms or the buds or the leaves.  Tension, yeah, I got lots of that.
C'est la vie.

As an unexpected treat, my friends and I had the good fortune of enjoying a delightful dinner at a table next to Kaffe Fassett  and Liza Lucy right before Kaffe's lecture.  Now there is an interesting fellow.  Jolly good and all that.

They were both very cordial to us and as much as I was tempted to bombard him with adoration, I thought it best to only take a few discreet snapshots.  Loved the purple shirt, purple slacks, and his bag of knitting yarns. (assumption on my part regarding the bag.)  And check out those socks..  I really had to restrain myself from asking him where I could buy a pair like those.  Loved his lecture.  All about color and design.  Duh, one of the masters of color and design in the quilting world.  And, to top it off, he has no problem in stating his opinion.  In answering questions from the audience he stated that he left America for England to get away from all the rednecks.  I didn't know that his stomping grounds, Big Sur area and NYC,  was so full of rednecks.  I always thought that those areas were full of hippies back in the sixties.  I shall assume that he has acquired that dry British tongue and cheek attitude.
 
On the other hand, I was also amused by his statement regarding all the little folks in their white gloves who wouldn't allow you to touch the quilts on display.  He seems to think that quilts are for all to enjoy, to caress, to explore.  He and Liza don't like quilts to be overly quilted to the point of feeling like cardboard.  Yippee!  so now I am once again justified by a famous one.  I agree with Kaffe - it's all about the color and design. The quilting, whether hand or machine, is secondary.  Sorry, I know I have just insulted a zillion quilters out there.  But that is my joie de'vie.

Back home from my 6 day trip with the girls, I am back to work on grandpuppy.  I must say, she's lookin' good.  I have begun the sewing process and it is always a thrill to see it come together. And, as always, I welcome input from anyone who sees any faux pas that I have made in the color and design.  Still agonizing over the "water".   Any suggestions before I continue to sew? 

People say the darn-dest things

Okay folks,  here is  "Shirts" in it's current state.  I discovered some lovely Kaffe Fassett shot cotton, which has an almost irridescent sheen.  It is woven with orange and teal threads but the fabric reads as a grey.  When the sunlight hits it just right you see just a bit of shimmering. Thought it was a nice contrast to the plaids and strips.  Now to the next step.  Should I add more to him, perhaps a border of another color; or plaid; or just leave him be and quilt on?  Think I'll let him hang around for a few more days and see what he has to say for himself.   Hm-m, I also had another thought.  Since I've done "Shirts and Blouses" and "Shirts", I should  try and come up with an idea for "Skins".  Hey I might have a real series thing going on here. Not. . . . . .  .

Moving on, why is it that I remember inane statements made by strangers? Case in point, when buying fabric at a quilt shop sale, the sales lady cutting my fabric asked what I was planning to do with these gorgeous batiks. I replied that I was going to incorporate them into a portrait of my grand puppy. She turned sharply to the sales lady next to her and pointing to me, made the statement that I really need some grandchildren in my life. What? Huh? I had to laugh. Certainly she did not mean to imply that I was wasting my time designing and making a quilt portrait of a dog. This happened a couple of years ago and I have yet to make this quilt. I didn't think that I was subconsciously affected by this lady's comment at that time. 

I had long ago promised my son, proud "pappa" of a lovely chocolate lab, that I would be delighted to immortilize his best friend in fabrics. I have finally gotten into the right frame of mind to jump into it, get the design and the pattern drawn and get it done. Having gotten that part completed, I began choosing the fabrics. When I came across the fabrics that I bought that day, that comment crossed my mind. This unimportant, totally insignificant, off hand comment popped into my thought process. I, again, began thinking "where did that come from?" Why did I remember this comment when I picked up these certain pieces of fabric.  And are we not complete because our children have not produced any children? Did this lady not like dogs?  Just why did she feel compelled to say that?  All sorts of questions followed me around that day.  My son is not married, nor does he need children at this point in his life. He is quite content with his dog, his cat and his fish. So why should she, a total stranger, think that I need grandchildren?  People can say the darnest things. And perhaps even more ridiculously enough, I remember the darn dest things.  Can't remember to turn off the iron, but sure did remember that comment.  Perhaps I relate certains fabrics to where and when I purchased them and what was going on all around me at that time. Sorta like relating a certain favorite song to a time and place. Am I warped or what?

In the meantime, I am having so much fun working on my grand puppy's portrait.  She makes me smile. I will keep you posted on her progress. Here is one of the reference photos that I am using for the design.  Isn't she beautiful.