Back from the Pacific Northwest

Had a wonderful time in Oregon and Washington. Spent most of our time along the Columbia River Gorge after seeing Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens. Spectacular! We did alot of hiking, some of it on snow-covered paths. Thirteen feet deep! The paths were marked with stakes, but it was very weird to think we were walking on so much snow. Thirteen feet is about 5 years worth of snow where I live; and alot of it had already melted. The sun was so warm we were hiking in t-shirts.
This is Mt. Rainier with a cloud flowing over the top. We had perfect weather for nearly the entire week - clear blue skies and warm temperatures. Not very common in the Pacific Northwest. And the day we spent in Portland they had a record high of 95 degrees. Could have missed that, we have enough of that here.


This is a group of hikers heading up Mt. Rainier. You can hire a guide to lead you all the way to the top. It's a two day event with only about 4-5 hours of sleep. Very strenuous.

Then we went to see Mt. St. Helens, the volcano that erupted in May of 1980. There has been some volcanic activity here with lava domes building up in the crater for the past two years. Sometimes the dome erupts with some steam and ash, but nothing major, as long as you're far enough away. The land around Mt. St. Helens, at least what is part of the National Monument, is being left to recover on its own, and it's pretty slow going. Nearest to the volcano it looks like a moonscape. The day we were there the wind was blowing fiercely and getting bombarded with ash was not pleasant.

Much of the land that was affected by the 1980 eruption is owned by Weyerhauser, the lumber company. They lost millions of trees. They weren't going to let the land recover on its own, so they harvested the dead trees, tilled the soil, and planted millions of seedlings. The contrast between the replanted land and the untouched land is pretty stark.

This is Mt. Hood. It's possible to ski here all year round. We stayed at the Timberline Lodge, which was built in 1936 by the WPA. It has a very interesting history. It's constructed to withstand the huge amount of snow that falls every year. Our room was on the third level and we looked out our window to see the top of the snow. On the second floor the snow nearly covered the windows. And again, we could walk on the snow in our shirtsleeves.

The rest of the trip we spent along the Columbia River Gorge. Did a bit of hiking, several miles a day. Some hikes were level and quite easy, even paved, while others seemed to go straight up the side of the cliffs. The paved paths were supposedly wheelchair accessible, but I wouldn't want to be pushing a wheelchair up some of the grades.


This one was not wheelchair accessible. This is the path up Beacon Rock, a mile long with an 800 foot elevation gain. The path was constructed by two men in the 1930's and it's all switchbacks. Goes up to the top of the rock, which is along the Columbia River and is thought to be the cone of an ancient volcano. It stands by itself and has been a landmark forever. Lewis and Clark mention it in their writings.


Along the Oregon side of the river are many spectacular waterfalls. This is Multnomah Falls and is the 2nd largest year-round waterfall in the US. It falls 620 feet. You can go up to this bridge and see the upper falls. Several years ago a boulder came off the cliff and fell into the pool at the base of the falls. It was as big as a schoolbus and made a splash 70 feet high. All those standing on this bridge were drenched, including a wedding party there to take pictures. I'll bet those are memorable!


Here is one of the stones with petroglyphs on it. The stones have been moved from their original locations because those sites were drowned with the building of the dams. The dams provide electric power and make navigation of the river easier, but it's a shame that so much history has been lost.

I enjoyed taking pictures of flowers and other vegetation on our hikes. Spring is when an abundance of wild flowers bloom and they were everywhere. Don't ask me the names of these flowers; I didn't have a field guide, and probably wouldn't remember them anyhow.

Too long

I guess I've been occupied with other stuff because I sure haven't posted anything here. One interesting event was a visit from an art critic to one of my fiber groups. We paid him to come and five members brought quilts for him to look at and comment on. It was very enlightening, not only to hear what he said about my work, but what he said about the other works. He is an excellent critic in that he knows how to give 'negative' feedback in a positive manner. He explained what he liked and didn't like and why. I wish I had taped the critique because I know I have forgotten alot of it already.

I sort of started a new piece but after messing with it for several days and not being happy with it at all, took it all down off the design wall. It felt as if I were just putting up pieces of fabric with no thought behind it all. I think that I need to have some kind of design image in mind, or some kind of feeling, or something in my head in order to create a meaningful composition. Just putting fabrics up on the wall just doesn't work for me.

But I did make some postcards for a mini-demonstration for my local guild. And, wonderful people that they are, they thought the postcards were wonderful. During the demo, I started several more postcards just by wonder-undering (is that really a verb?) fabric to Timtex. The next day I put stitching on them and finished the edges, so I have a another handful of postcards. They seem to be like potato chips - you can't make just one.

I'm packing for a week in Oregon; we plan to visit Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helen and drive up the Columbia River Gorge. Picture taking opportunities galore. I hope there is Internet access where ever we're staying. It seems that almost everybody offers it these days. Can't bear to be disconnected!

Scientific experiment

I'll bet that title has you eager to see what this is all about. I'm testing some spray to see how well it protects fabric from fading. I got it at REI, the outdoor adventure store. It's a UV protectant spray designed for use on anything that sits out in the sun. It doesn't specifically mention fabric, but it does say vinyl, tires, plastics, leather, fiberglass, patio furniture, pool covers, jackets and handbags. And fine, finished wood furniture. So why not cotton fabric?

I sewed together three pieces of fabric, cut off a sample to save as the original, sprayed half of the remainder. It's been sitting out in the sun for several days so far, too early to see any change.


The sprayed section is on the left and extends about 2/3 of the way across the fabric. The spray itself made the fabric a little darker, so if you think you're seeing a difference, you're really not.

The stuff is called 303 Aerospace Protectant and claims to be environmentally safe: non-toxic, non-flammable, and biodegradable. They call it SPF 40 for your stuff. So we'll see what happens.

And the azaleas are in full bloom.

Doings

It's really Spring! Most of the trees are leafed out, the dogwoods and azaleas are nearing peak blooming, and I've seen a hummingbird at the feeder.

Here's the view from the window this morning. It's a little dark because the sun has moved so far north that the garden is still in shadow at 9:00AM. Compare this to the view from mid-March, when the first daffodil bloomed. Now the daffodils are done and all that's left of them are the straggly leaves.


And here below is a picture of Determination. This little dogwood 'bush' used to be a beautiful tree, about 20 feet high and wide with deep pink blossoms. It had a friend nearby that had white blossoms and the two of them together, nestled in the pachysandra and surrounded by azaleas, would take your breath away. Until about 2 years ago when a wind storm took out an 80 foot tall pine tree and dropped it directly on these dogwoods. All that was left were some broken off stumps, so we cut them off evenly and thought about how to replace them. But the pink one will not be silenced and here you see it as it struggles to return. Maybe in 15 years it will regain its former glory.



And what have I been doing with myself? A little gelatin printing, some screenprinting, some yardwork, and alot of web page rewriting. I've done enough to upload and reveal the new look to the world. I took out the guestbook feature because I was getting more spam type postings than I was of admiring posters. It's bad enough that they come into my mailbox, but to leave them on my website? How rude. So if you want to leave a comment, you will have to email me. Please let me know if something looks funky or doesn't work right.

Postcards for Mary Beth

I've been making postcards for Mary Beth Bellah's postcard exhibit. It's open to all; if you want details, email Mary Beth at mb4q@virginia.edu

This 'n that

I have not been keeping up with my blog, shame on me. But I have been busy. Last week another trip down to DC to see the Cezanne exhibit at the National Gallery again with Janet who was visiting from Washington (State, not DC). We also visited the Matisse cutouts, and an entire section of the East Wing of the Gallery that I never knew even existed. Lots of contemporary art there and I need to go back and spend more time there.

On Saturday we drove up to Philadelphia to the Brunch and lecture for Art Quilts at the Sedwick, which is not at the Sedgwick any more, and is being renamed Art Quilts Philadelphia. After the brunch Rebecca Stevens of The Textile Museum in Washington gave a lecture. She was one of the jurors for the show. Then over to see the show. Because it's in a smaller space there were fewer quilts than in past years. The show has a wide range of styles and techniques, and as usual there were things I liked and things I didn't.

Next, over to Snyderman-Works to see the Fiber 2006 Invitational Show. More than 90 pieces of fiber art and it runs from quilts to weavings to beads to wire and on. Lots to see, much too much to absorb in just an hour or so.

And then there are all the shows we missed. Either we needed to stay over, or we'll have to go back.

And here I hope I'm not jinxing myself before this deal is finalized (i.e. I have the check): The DC Commission on Arts and Humanities has purchased Cinnabar for the Art Bank. This group places artwork in reception areas and offices of Cabinet-level officials in the Government. The selections have been made but still need to be approved by the Commissioners. It sounds like it's just a matter of protocol. I've tried uploading a picture but Blogger is acting wonky and won't take it. Maybe later.

Other tasks to work on include the homework assignment for Michael James' class at QSDS, photographing recent work, updating my web page (I'm rewriting the entire thing), planning the Purdue commission. If I think about it I can come up with more stuff, too. Probably need to make a list.

Great weekend

Two days of nearly nonstop sewing and being with great friends - what could top that? Well, I do have something but first - the weekend.

We arrived Friday afternoon and the weather was beautiful, but who pays attention to the weather? Everybody had projects ready to work on, some that have been to quite a few previous retreat weekends.

Here are Linda and Mary Beth all set up. Notice how efficient we have all become - supplies are neatly packaged and stashed underneath the tables.
Floris is very intently studying her yellow water bottle, hoping the genie will pop out.

Dale is always in a good mood and her infectious laughter keeps us all smiling.

This is Elizabeth's work area. Notice how she has neatly stowed her fabric in a milk crate. Each piece is precisely folded. She doesn't even iron them. I wish my fabric were as well behaved.
This is what I'm working on. I'm using some of my soy wax batik fabrics.


The Canada geese are feasting on all the worms that have come out during the heavy downpour.
This is the view from the porch of the cabin. Very peaceful and meditative, except we're all facing the other way so we can see our design walls.


Good news #1: I have a new great niece, born last week. Named Julia Rose, 9lbs 2oz (ouch). Here is the postcard I'm sending to her and her family. It will have to hold them until I make her baby quilt. Julia is my 12th great niece/nephew. Isn't that a beautiful name? I just love it.


Good news #2: The guy from Purdue called and I now have a commission. Whoopee! Good news all around!

Cherry Blossoms

Yesterday we went down to Washington DC. My brother-in-law and his son from Chicago are visiting and wanted to see the Air and Space Museum and Arlington National Cemetery. And the cherry blossoms are blooming, so we wanted to see them also. Traffic from Baltimore to DC is awful so we took the train and then the Metro, much easier.

The Air and Space Museum was full of airplanes, space modules, and teenagers. They have a 'ride' where you get inside a capsule that simulates space flight. It turns upside down and every which way, and you couldn't pay me enough money to get me in one of them. It's cool to see things that have actually been in outer space. You can touch a moon rock, although I would bet that the smooth texture is the result of millions of touches and not the original surface.

From there we went to Arlington National Cemetery. First we went to John F Kennedy's gravesite, where they have an eternal flame burning. Also buried there are two of his children, one stillborn and unnamed, the other who lived for 2 days. I would bet that if that child had been born in this day, he would still be alive. Also buried there is Jackie Onassis; however, the "Onassis" part of her life seems to be beside the point, as her grave marker states Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

The gravestones extend as far as the eye can see. It's a very solemn place and a tribute to all the men and women who have died to protect our freedoms. We wanted to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers.



There is an honor guard around the clock and they change every 30 minutes. The guard on duty paces from one end of the area, stands at attention for a short bit, then turns and paces to the other end. He repeats this for his entire watch. At the time of the changing, another guard aproaches and with great ceremony and dignity, they pass the guard duty from one to the other. There were several hundred people standing around and watching and during the ceremony there was absolute silence. Not even cries from babies. After the official ceremony, there were 2 more where some visiting groups (one from a high school and the other an AmVet group from Wisconsin) presented wreaths and laid them on the tomb. And they played taps. It was a very moving experience.

From there we walked back across the Potomac River to the Tidal Basin (more than 2 miles). As we're walking acroos the bridge jet airplanes are flying overhead to land at Reagan National Airport. For security reasons (can't fly over the White House or the Capitol), planes must follow the course of the river to approach the landing field. There are some pretty tight curves that must be difficult for jet to negotiate. And the runway begins only yards from the river bank. Reminds me of why I don't like flying into that airport.

The cherry blossoms are stunning. I've lived in Baltimore for more than 30 years and this is the first time I've actually seen them in bloom.



Some of these trees are nearly 100 years old and their trunks are twisted and contorted into wonderful patterns. So I also have several pictures of the the trunks, which will probably become thermofax screens.

Just to prove that I was really there, here is a picture my husband shot of me. Sort of looks like I have a cherry tree branch growing out of my head.

From the Tidal Basin we walked over to the White House, another healthy jaunt. Security is quite tight around that building. Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House is closed to traffic, but they did that many years ago, even before 9/11. So here is the classic view of the White House. I don't know if George was home or not, the guys with the guns didn't look like they were taking questions.


From there we went to the train to come home and have dinner at The Hon in Baltimore, where the bread pudding is to die for.

New work

I actually have done some art work lately, although not much. It's too easy to get sidetracked. Here is a study for a larger piece that is on the design wall. This little piece is about 12" x 12" and the foreground fabrics are some of my recent soy wax experiments.



I'm always in a quandry about what design to use for quilting. The stitching either gets lost or it shows up too much. When you get far enough away, it can't be seen, so what's the point? I think I'm being overcome by indecision.

This weekend is my semi-annual quilt weekend at a retreat center south of Annapolis, Maryland. It's on the banks of the West River and the view is stunning. Except we're mostly inside absorbed with projects and never really notice it. Elizabeth, Martha, Floris, Dale, Linda, Mary Beth, and I will keep the lights burning, the sewing machines humming, and the iron hot pretty much 24/7.

Published!

Way last summer I did a mask for the Johns Hopkins University Shriver Hall Concert Series. The mask is to be auctioned off at their Gala that's next month. On their web page they show 125 masks total. Just recently I saw the printed invitation to the event. It's quite elaborate, folds out and has 3 inserts showing the 35 masks that are going to be part of the Live Auction. This is the outside of the invitation:


It measures 5x7. When you open it up there are pictures of half masks on the fold out pages. The is the first one you see:


That's my mask on the left! It's going to be part of the Live Auction, along with masks by Joyce Scott (famous bead artist), Nicole Kidman, the mayor of Baltimore, Serena and Venus Williams (tennis players) , the cast of Wire,, Anne Tyler (writer), and other famous people. To see all the masks, visit the website. If you would like to attend the gala, it's $200 per person. Tell me all about it, please, I'm afraid I won't be there.

Save Our Stories

Yesterday I was interviewed for the Save Our Stories project. This is a massive project by the Alliance for American Quilts to "capture the voices and stories of quiltmakers", transcribe them, and make them available online. There are already hundreds of interviews in the database and as I scrolled through the list, I recognized many names of people I know and of people I've heard of, but the vast majority are not famous. Yet they all have a story to tell and it would takes months to work your way through the list.

As part of the interview, I was asked to have a quilt at hand to talk about. That sort of posed a dilemma because there isn't much of a story behind most of my quilts. I don't make quilts with political statements, and there are no Deep Hidden Meanings. What I chose was the quilt "Nine". I made this as a tribute to my late mother-in-law, who raised nine children. My husband is the oldest; his youngest sibling is only 4 years older than our daughter. My inspiration for the quilt came from the priest who was giving the eulogy at the funeral service. He talked about the "coat of many colors" that she wove as she raised nine unique individuals. With those words, the idea for this quilt sprung almost completely formed in my head, and unfortunately, I tuned out the rest of what he said. Many colors, all woven together, yet making a cohesive whole. That is the family that I have married into.

This is the quilt. There are nine panels, and inlaid into each panel is a strip with nine different fabrics. Everything is similar, yet nothing is identical. The edges are uneven to represent the different personalities, yet the panels are joined into one unified piece.



Even though siblings and their families live on both coasts and in the Chicago area, we meet once every three years at the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a week-long family reunion. At last count there were 39 of us, in three generations. Since that reunion, we have had one marriage and one new baby. With both parents dead, my husband and I are the elders of the group (and that is a might scary thought). We have been doing this since 1973, and the babies on that trip now all have babies of their own.

We also have t-shirts made to commemorate the event. My son designs the logo and we have them printed up in all sizes from baby XS to adult XXL. We gather on the beach and pose for a group photo. As the years have progressed and the group has expanded, the camera has had to be positioned further and further away. Notice how nicely we have positioned ourselves, to make a balanced group.


My husband and I are seated in the center, the places that were always occupied by his parents. We are now older than his parents were when we first started these trips. Egads, I'm making myself depressed!

Good and sort of good news

I finally heard from the Art Committee at Purdue University. In early January I submitted a proposal for a piece for their Art in the Classroom project. I sent them a sample of what the fabrics would look like with the screened images.
So I got a phone call the other day with the nicest rejection I've ever had. They loved the proposal, and really wanted the work, but because the building is flooded with sunlight and they didn't want to have to put the piece behind plexiglas, they decided to turn it down. But the good news is that there is money coming available for art for another building that is not so sun drenched and they want to just move my proposal over for that building's art. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

And I have a piece that's going into the Journal Quilt Project Book. I only did the Journals one time, in 2003, and so I could only submit one entry, but they took it. It's my July piece. I've always visualized the months as colors, and July is red because it's hot. The fabrics are hand dyed by moi, as are the pearl cotton threads used for some of the hand stitching. The sun image is gold foiled with adhesive screened through a thermofax, and then foiling with gold with an iron.


And lastly, this is the view from my window. The first daffodil has bloomed in the garden.

Good grief!

I'm looking out the window at the forsythia blooming across the street and it's SNOWING! Not supposed to be doing that! It's too warm to actually amount to anything (I hope), but, ya know, it was in the 80's on Monday. March is so wacky. Some of the worst snows in Baltimore have been in March.

The amount of daylight and night are nearly the same - 12 hours each - even though the Equinox isn't until next week. When asked why these two events don't occur on the same day, the local weatherman explained. Sunrise is marked as when the sun first peaks above the horizon; sunset when the last rays disappear. The Equinox is measured when the geometric center of the Sun crosses the Earth's equator. I'm sure you can use this factoid to impress all your friends.