Midweek check in: devastating results

 I am totally bummed and extremely apprehensive after yesterday's election.    

Weekly update: quilt show

We went to the Chicago Botanic Garden Sunday morning to see  the  Fine Art of Fiber.  It's an annual collaboration of Illinois Quilters, Inc., North Suburban Needlearts Guild, and the Weaver's Guild of the North Shore.  

I have artists' statements for most of these if you'd like to know more.  

The theme for this year's Explorations in Fiber was "Inspiration."  Here are some of the selections. 

We went into one of the greenhouses.  Upper right:  cacao pods.

Outside:  roses are still in bloom. 

Work crews were setting up for Lightscape, the holiday light show that opens November 15.  

Even though there's nothing on my design wall, I'm linking up with  Design Wall Monday!

 

 

 

Weekly update: lots going on but not sewing!

The Zion Woman's Club held its annual ladies' night bunco party Friday evening.  64 women (some girls, too) came out to play.   Most of them were first-timers though there were some who come every year.  Great fun was had by all! 

The Moose Lodge gives us a great deal on the room--$100.  The other benefit is that their bar/restaurant are open so those who want an alcoholic drink can purchase at the bar and bring it upstairs.  

My friend Suzanne won the 50/50 cash raffle ($173 to her, $173 to the club).  My P.E.O. friend Evie won the quilt that I donated.  My Rotary friend Harriet got the runner-up prize for lowest bunco score.  

I counted all the money at home (the treasurer is out of town) -- gross income is $1853.  We will net about $1400.  Hooray!  

The Lake County Women's Coalition steering committee meeting met Saturday morning.  It was productive but long.  And I have homework to do. (I'm secretary and I volunteered to work on a bylaws amendment.)    When I got home from the meeting Stevens was ready to go out.  After I picked up a book at the library I spotted a sign for an estate sale and had to stop.   A group of related people (60-ish; siblings/in-laws/cousins) were running the show. The woman on basement duty explained that their great-grandparents were original Zion residents.  Their grandparents (he was mayor of Zion) and then their Aunt Janet had lived in the house for many years and passed away a couple of months ago.  

No, there wasn't any fabric, but there were textiles!  I made a stack.  I said that I only had a $20 bill (I spent cash at Bunco).  He said that was fine with him.  

Upper left:  never-used pillowcases.  Upper right: never-used napkins.  Center:  a big embroidered tablecloth. I think it's a tablecloth -- from India?  Also never used.  Lower right:  a nice group of vintage screen-print tablecloths that appear to be unstained.  Lower left: three never used linen placemat sets, still in gift boxes.

And speaking of gift boxes:  these three from area stores.   I shared the Fields of Zion photo with a local FB group and sparked a lot of memories.   A Waukegan friend remembers going to Jack's.  I recall that my Brownie uniform came from Garnett's in Highland Park.

A closeup of the packaging of a pair of pillowcases.  Note the guarantee and the notice to "sales personnel ONLY." 

 

 Saturday evening was the Lake County Symphony Orchestra's annual gala.  We sat with our friends Marilyn and Mike.   The dinner was delicious and the music was wonderful. 

I donated Blue Windows to the silent auction. I didn't follow the bidding. 


Sunday was taken up by the Fine Art of Fiber quilt show -- that's enough for its own post.    

I'll skip to Sunday afternoon.   The Lake County Community Concert Association presented Ludy and His Lady.  They cover Vegas favorites like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis.   Unfortunately the acoustics in the venue--a church sanctuary--were mushy.  (And we were tired!) 

So, as I write this Sunday evening, we are upstairs watching TV (Elspeth which is delightful!). Still no sewing.  We will sleep well tonight.

Next post:  the Fine Art of Fiber show. 
 

Friday check in: stash report and OMG November

 

 Rabbit, rabbit! 

Welcome to November. As I write the sun is shining and it's about 20 degrees cooler than earlier in the week.   

It was windy as I walked in  Lyons Woods (Wednesday) and  Capt. Daniel Wright Woods (Thursday)  

Fall fungus.    

Golden catalpa in a clearing in the woods.  

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Stash report, October:

Fabric in:  86-1/2 yards, $186.50. average $2.15 per yard. Most of that was from Barb M's estate sale.   Fabric out:  a paltry 33-1/4 yards.  

YTD fabric in: 1446-1/2 yards, $2959.50, average $2.04 per yard.

YTD fabric out:  778-2/4 yards.

The half-log cabin blocks are finished but they won't count as "fabric used" until I assemble them. 

One Monthly Goal for November:   (1) quilt two flimsies, (2) sew blocks, maybe flimsies, using a different genre from homespun, (3) pull fabric for Old Town, the 2024 Quiltville mystery.  (Coral and turquoise and red and neutral -- love the colorway.)

Linking up with OMG 2024  Finished or Not Friday  

 

Midweek: OMG for October

 

I crossed paths with a praying mantis at Illinois Beach State Park yesterday.   I tried to get a head-on photo but it moved too quickly.

We have one more warm day (80's!) and tomorrow it will be in the 60's, falling to the low 50's for trick or treating.

The squirrels decided to carve our pumpkin.  Ooooh noooo, Mr. Bill!  

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Last evening's P.E.O. Zoom meeting included a very interesting program.

The speaker was my friend-since-junior high Pam. She was an associate editor for Science  the journal of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science, for 34 years.  She told us what is involved in accepting papers out of the  15,000 submissions a year.  Her subject area is neurobiology (she has a PhD.) and she traveled to many professional conferences around the world to stay abreast of the research.  Her job included arranging for peer review, sometimes a challenge in competitive niches.  Technology changed over the years from mailed submissions in manila envelopes to email (the extensive documentation overloaded the servers) to more efficient platforms.    

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In the studio:  it's time to recap the One Monthly Goal for October.  I said I'd spend the month piecing on Sweetness, my Singer 301, while Jolly Janome was in the shop for a tuneup. 

I made a scrappy half log cabin quilt 20 years ago or so.  I came across three of Sharyn Craig's HLC books and realized the block would be great in homespuns.  I'm using 2" strips so the blocks are 7.5" unfinished. 

Can you see what's in the backgroun of the photo on the left?  We picked up the Janome yesterday.  And I did NOT buy any fabric at the shop.  

I'll use Sweetness to get the HLC blocks to the flimsy stage.

Here's a collage of the four homespun flimsies I made this month. 

Linking up with OMG 2024 October  Wednesday Wait Loss Midweek Makers

Weekly update: more blue-sky days, another concert, and that homespun rescue

 I neglected to mention that we voted last week.  We got mail-in ballots and I dropped them in the box inside the early voting location at Zion City Hall.   There were about 30 people in line to vote in person.  I walked in, and out, with a woman I sort of recognized.  As we exited the building I said in a low voice, "May the best woman win!" to which she said, "You've got that right!"

Here is the backstory of our county's I Voted sticker.

We enjoyed walks at McDonald Woods,  Ray Lake, and Van Patten Woods.   

Upper left:  ground cherries in their husks.

Sunday evening we returned to the College of Lake County for a concert.   The Travelin' McCourys are a Grammy-winning bluegrass band.  Great music!  (And so much energy and strength in their hands.)   

The ADA-accessible row gave us convenient seats.  One of the ushers is a long-time acquaintance (from the late 90's) and he helped S get to the restroom (and out of it), for which I was grateful.  (It's a dilemma when there is no 'family' or unisex restroom.)

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In the studio:

Earlier this month I made some sawtooth stars.

Last week I made some sixteen-patch blocks.

I reduced the sixteen-patches to eight-patches and made more of them.  I made more stars, too.  

I added some HSTs.   

And here's what happened!   

64 x 72

(Oops. The HST at the upper left is mis-oriented. An easy fix, fortunately.)

Linking up with Design Wall Monday Oh Scrap! Sew and Tell

Midweek: design rescue in the works

 

Our AAUW branch met in person last evening. I was happy to go for several reasons -- to see friends, to sell tickets for the holiday raffle quilt, and most of all for the excellent program.  The Dignity Index is a way we can thoughtfully respond to people whose statements and ideas may not align with ours.              from the website: The Dignity Index scores distinct phrases along an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity.  Lower scores (1-4) reflect divisive language while higher scores (5-8) reflect language grounded in dignity.                                                  At our meeting the facilitators (AAUW members from the Batavia-Geneva-St. Charles Branch) provided sample statements for us to evaluate.  It takes practice!     I encourage you to go to the website to learn more. 

In previous years I'd start selling tickets for the holiday quilt at the AAUW-IL fall conference but it was online this year and I wasn't able to attend. (I know there are online auction/raffle platforms but I still can't wrap my head around the logistics.)   Last night's meeting was the last in-person meeting until the holiday party when the winning ticket will be drawn.  

I made the quilt in July.  

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In the studio:   

I've been taken with Wanda's recent sixteen-patch project . I tried the block with the homespuns that have turned out to be my genre-of-the-month.  I alternated the plaids with cream/tan 'regular' fabric.   Pretty blah!  I stared at them for a while and the lightbulb turned on.    Tune in again to see what I've figured out. 

Linking up with Midweek Makers and  Wednesday Wait Loss

Thanks for the shout out, Jennifer! 

Weekly update: sunny days, a concert, more homespun + reading

 Oh, such glorious fall weather!  

We revisited Illinois Beach State Park, Rollins Savanna, and the Des Plaines River Canoe Launch.

Left:  ground cherry (in husks).  Oak leaves, compass plant seed head, prickly pear with fruit, a determined chicory flower, aster, and ground cherries (sans husks).

A friend told me about this trail adjacent to the Rec Plex in Pleasant Prairie, just over the state line.  We checked it out this afternoon (Sunday). 

Saturday evening we went to the College of Lake County (our community college) to hear the Blind Boys of Alabama . They were great!   And with the senior discount our tickets were just $32.50 each. 

Note that I said "evening."  Now that I've had cataracts removed I can see to drive at night.  It makes such a difference! 

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This week I replaced broken things.  The coffeemaker was purchased in 2021 ($).  The Cuisinart food processor was purchased in 1991 ($$).  The molar (#19 per the tooth chart), grown approx. 1959 ($$$$).  [I'm kicking myself for pitching the work bowl from the burned-out Cuisinart because it would fit the new one.  I did save the blades, though.)

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In the studio:  

Here is the homespun project I referred to, now a flimsy.

I'm adapting it from a pattern in a quilt book from 1998.  The pattern uses 1-1/2" strips for 7-1/2" blocks but suggests using 2" strips for 11-1/2" blocks.  I'm doing the latter.   

Perhaps you had this book -- and perhaps you still do! 

(The quiltmaker is (was) Mary Radke of Yorkville, Illinois.  That's in Wanda's neck of the woods. I wonder if she knows her.)

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During her long life and illustrious career Marie Curie mentored many women scientists.  Sobel includes them in this interesting approach to biography.  I admit that I didn't completely understand all the scientific terminology, though Sobel explained it (fairly) clearly.

I'm a life member of AAUW which helped raise money so Mme Curie could  purchase a gram of radium .

Linking up with Oh Scrap!  Sew and Tell   Design Wall Monday. 

P.S.   A woolly bear caterpillar on the trail.  Weather lore says the wider the black bands the more severe the winter will be.  

Midweek: estate sale encore and a flimsy + quilt history books

 Barb M's estate sale began in September, 2023.  Paula and her friends were off in July and this September but were back this month.  And there will be more!   They've raised nearly $25,000 for different charities.  

  Average price $2.20 per yard this time.  You can see why my homespun stash has not diminished.

Not that I am not trying.  Here's the nine/four patch flimsy. 

I have another homespun project underway -- photos to come.

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(Last week I mentioned that a local quilt shop sells gently-used quilt books for $2.00 with the proceeds going to charity.  Reading one of those led to rereading another.) 

Jonathan Holstein wrote Abstract Design in American Quilts: a Biography of an Exhibition in 1991 in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the landmark Whitney Museum exhibit of 60 quilts from his collection.  That was the first time an art museum displayed quilts hung like paintings.  Critics were awed.   

Holstein was born in 1936, grew up in Syracuse, and went to Harvard. In the 1960's he discovered old quilts at antiques shops, farm houses, and other out-of-the-way places in New England, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania.  He and his partner Gail van der Hoof filled their Manhattan apartment with quilts. They were entranced by the way 19th and early 20th century quilt makers perceived and used colors and shapes.     

The Whitney exhibit opened July 2, 1971, and closed September 12.  From there it went to Paris and Japan. The Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) used some of the Whitney quilts and others from the Holstein collection for a 21-city tour in 1973-74.   

My observation is that some of the quilts are terrific and some are ho-hum.  So many more quilts have been discovered, documented, and shown since then, many of them magnificent.  It is interesting to read quilt analysis from the art history/critic point of view rather than that of a quilt maker.  

My copy of The Pieced Quilt: An American Design Tradition is a reprint (Galahad Books) of the 1973 publication.   It is not a catalog of the Whitney exhibit but is a follow-up companion.  Holstein elaborates on American quilting development, again with the emphasis on design.  

 In 2003 Holstein donated his collection of quilts and documents to the International Quilt Museum.   The 400 quilts include the 62 from the Whitney exhibition.  Images are in the Quilt Index here.  (It was valued at $2.2 million, quite an increase considering that Holstein and van der Hoof set a budget of $36 per quilt on their buying trips.)   In 2021 IQM  remounted the exhibit for its fiftieth anniversary.   

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Linking up with  Midweek Makers  Wednesday Wait Loss

P. S.  Thanks for the shout out, Jennifer!