Another Great One is Gone: Ruth McDowell

 This quilter, teacher, writer and major influence in the world of quilting died on June 23, 2024. 

 

I heard of her first through her "Dancing Princesses" quilt -- from the old folktale about the girls who danced their shoes to shreds every night. A huge piece which put Ruth's name out there nationally.

But what really influenced me was her work in everyday subjects -- landscapes, animals...and especially growing things: trees,  herbs and flowers. She had a very basic approach to a sort-of paper foundation piecing that copied these in realistic fashion. I was used to seeing them in applique, not this almost-stained glass look! She mixed prints, textures and batiks with hand-dyeds and solids -- another huge influence for this scrap-loving quilter.

P.S. She did machine applique, too -- beautifully. 

The Barn (2015)

If you're thinking, 'Gee, this reminds me of Nancy Halpern's work...you're right. They definitely influenced each other. (More on Nancy here.)

Summer Visitors (2013)

Sugar Maples on Wilson Hill (2017)

Ladders (2017)...yes, this is a pieced quilt!

Hobblebush - 2014**

Blossoming Moosewood - piecing and applique **

Hill Town Farm -- a good example of Ruth's approach.**

Sumac 4 (2016)**

**These are available for sale! An excellent opportunity to own this talented artist's work. 

Ruth made almost 600 quilts -- I wish I could show them all to you.

Here's Ruth's website -- and some of her work. 

Her induction in 2014 into the Quilters Hall of Fame will tell you more, too. She stopped teaching more than a decade ago, and retired from making quilts by 2020. But her books, work and methods endured.

Here's her obituary:

A pioneer and visionary in the contemporary art quilt movement and lifelong appreciator of the natural world, died on June 23, 2024, following a brief illness. Ruth was raised in Winchester, MA and graduated from MIT in 1967. She began her art quilting career in 1972. Until her retirement in 2017, Ruth forged the unique path of being a full-time professional quilt artist. Her quilts were exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries, museums and shows and are represented in museum, private and corporate art collections worldwide. Ruth's very active career included teaching quilt design and piecing workshops, and lecturing about her work throughout the world. 

She was the author of ten books on the subjects of quilt design; her personal piecing method; and two career retrospectives. In 2007, Ruth relocated from Winchester to the woods of Colrain, Massachusetts. In 2021, she moved to Minnesota to be closer to her daughter, Leah and grandchildren, but her heart remained in western MA. 

She was preceded in death by her beloved Bernese mountain dog, Sepia; and survived by daughters, Emily McDowell (Daniel Pasley) of Portland, OR and Leah Lofgren (Joseph) of Edina, MN; and grandchildren, Pippi and Henry Lofgren. A public Celebration of Ruth's Life will be held in late October in the Boston area, followed by a family Ceremony in Colrain, MA.

Thank you for sharing yourself and your amazing work with us, Ruth.

Happy Fourth!

God bless America, land that I love.

Doggie Love

 

Frugal Hits & Misses: June Report

     It's a lovely day in the neighborhood... and I feel 'deadbeat and plum tuckered out,' as the Brick likes to say. We're still having truck repair issues, although at least it's drivable now. (And no resolution on the Wheel Claim, either. See below.)

     I've had more appraising, teaching and work gigs than I usually do this month. Which is good.

     And we've had several visitors, which is also good.

     We've had way more rain than usual, according to our friends here. 

     And much to our mutual astonishment, our income almost covered our expenses. In spite of several extras -- and an investment I made. 

Mustn't grumble. Except for the truck business, these are all good.

So on life goes.

Maybe you can't afford moneybags -- but you can buy this Danish cutie for less than $10

FRUGAL HITS

(some of these are from late May)

*$25 gift card awarded to the Brick for getting a physical. (He needed it to renew his CDL, anyways.) Yes, I need to do this, too. (sigh)

*Free Rockies game (and a hotdog!) for the Brick (who paid for parking). Courtesy of friend Thom. 

*Two beautiful antique quilts -- traded for several hours of appraising. 

*Iced coffee is back on the menu, using leftover morning coffee. Iced tea is making an appearance, too.

*Found money:  7 pennies and a mystery coin (another penny?) from the Coinstar at the Alamosa Safeway, plus 2 pennies ( same spot) during an earlier visit. Whoo hoo -- 9 cents!!  (Can you hear the Brick laughing?)

*It RAINED. And rained some more! We so appreciate moisture in this dry climate.

*A $6.50 check from Colorado's Great Payback - via the Missing Money site. Have you checked this yet, to see if you're owed something?

*The Excel electric bill was nearly half of what it was last month. Hey, every $ counts.

*More buy-3-get-1-free books from Second Sale on Ebay...plus free shipping. Frugal living, a quilt book, plus a Dickens book I've been wanting to read, Dickens and Staplehurst. I found another Dickens book marked way down from another seller -- Dickens and the House of Fallen Women.  Update: I finished the Staplehurst book -- very well-written, and answered some questions I'd always had about this part of Dickens' life.

Me and Charley -- buddies forever.

*Postcards -- many at deep discount, including pioneers, Thanksgiving -- and several for an upcoming book we're collecting for. Reasonable shipping, too.

*Finished two long-overdue appraisal reports.  Thank God.

*Bought potatoes in bulk -- 50 pounds for $20. Big ones, too. Not a terrific price -- but not bad. Several had black spots, sadly.

*Dented and crumbly cookies -- from an Amazon order. Which they promptly credited when I complained. Thanks, Amazon!

*Another Amazon order had an item missing -- and a large colored hammock included. (Which I did NOT order.) The missing item was credited, and they told me to keep the hammock. Thanks again, Amazon!

*The truck's brakes are FIXED, thanks to the Brick's and Son #1's hard work. The transmission fluid was drained and replenished, too. Hopefully this makes our truck run happily for quite some time to come. 

*Bought THE BOOK. Or should I really say -- THE LETTERS.  See the post on this for more.

*An Augustus Egg letter -- made a very lowball offer -- and they accepted! (See the post on this.)

*Did some appraisals. (Actually, way more than usual for this time of year.) 

*Picked the first of our tomatoes. I planted two 'indeterminate' (whatever the heck that is) and two 'Early Girl' plants. Our climbing beans are coming up nicely. I planted more beans and some zinnias in another bin -- and dumped in the very smelly contents of our compost can before adding more dirt. I also planted the peppermint I'd nursed from Sedalia, seeds for greens, and the Jerusalem artichokes. These were put in by the drainpipes off the roof -- hopefully that will give them extra moisture.

     A friend has offered some baby plants growing under her perennials -- I'm thinking I'd like to start planting these on the slope behind the house. Hopefully they're grow and spread. 

*Thrift shop buys:  Man vs Wild ($4) and District 9 ($2) videos, a new white shirt and a few dishtowels with London scenes on them ($2 each) -- plus 20% senior discount. From the Nazarene Thrift Store in Monte Vista: a plaid workshirt ($4), some lampshades ($1.50-2.50) and some cream patterned curtains I used for 'tablecloths' at the pastors lunch ($8).

*FINALLY got the Tabor refund: $1600 to the good, but it sure took a while to get here. It arrived just in time to cut back on the money we had to take out of the emergency fund for truck repairs. 

*The Brick put up a quilt hanging system! And did a terrific job of it. You're seeing hooks and electrical conduit painted white. Simple, elegant -- and easy to switch out quilts, too.

Daughter #2 and Son #1 found this at an auction: $35. It's an imported quilt, but vintage and extremely well-made.

Catered a lunch for the regional pastors association -- The Mama was a caterer, and I've done several events in the past. This one was small: I planned for 30.  (We actually had less.)

      *Ordered four poundcakes from a friend -- she makes exquisite ones, using her grandma's "secret recipe." (I think I talked her into sharing it!) Used these for the pastors luncheon...and helped her earn some extra cash, as well. (She donated one, which was nice of her.) 

     *Food for the pastors lunch:  approx. 24 cents an ounce for Cheez-Its and Doritos, as well as plantain chips.(The latter were a big hit.) Individual bags meant we easily kept what was left. Hand pies (wonderful Amish pastries) were donated by a kind friend, basil and poundcake by other friends.

I made semmel Austrian hard rolls, and filled them with sliced ham ($3/lb at Sam's) and shaved chicken ($5.65/lb at the Amish store).   Swiss cheese (from the bargain wheel) was available, along with dill pickles, mayo and mustard from a previous Amazon Warehouse Deals order. Two kinds of homemade soup (loaded potato and chicken noodle), along with a platter of baby carrots (97 cents from Safeway) and celery completed the offerings, along with coffee, lemonade and ice water.

     Nearly everything I used was either on sale, or pulled out of our current stock. People LOVED the food. Hooray!

*Several meals from leftovers -- gained from the trip to Denver, and the pastors' lunch. (A number of goodies went home with my helpers, too.)

*Took care of Freya, Daughter #2 and Son #1's dog, for a few weeks. (They took us out to breakfast as a thank you. Sweet of them.) The Pup Pup will be staying with us more, as Phenomenal Gems has several booths in various shows this summer and fall.

Here she is...the sweetie-pie.

*Sold the stocks in my account. I felt I needed to take the profit now. It wasn't major $$, but still...

*Two books ordered at discount -- appraisers research (Ebay). A third antique book of Dickens and others' letters and speeches -- for a buck! Plus an 1863 book of Western photos that includes one on Fort Garland -- $36 and change, way under what other sellers were asking. (Yes, I'm working on a new book.)  

     A complete set of Frasier DVDs at deep discount for the Brick (Father's Day present). Also ordered: Nutter Butter cookies at discount -- these are terribly addictive, but at least I got them on sale, thanks to Amazon's Warehouse Deals.  (They weren't cheap, though.)

Really loving this book - it's perfect for anyone interested in autographs or paper ephemera. Got me started on Charles Hamilton's work, too. See 'The Letters.'

Grocery buys:  A variety of great stuff, including canned soup, spaghettios, chips, etc. - up to a quarter of their normal cost, salmon skins (really! like potato chips), 59 cents; fried chicken pieces ($2.50/lb); 9 oz. Jimmy Dean sausage, 79 cents (SLV discount - the Amish store). Maple syrup ($12.95/quart), Cheez-its, Doritos and plantain chips (24-26 cents/oz); white peach energy drinks (slightly more than a buck each) Amazon Warehouse Deals. Baby carrots, 99 cents (plus a free bag); ribeye for $5.35/lb, eggs (18-count) for $1.97 -- wow!  Safeway. 

*Bought supper at Red Robin for two dear friends -- and paid full price for a root beer float. Went back at lunch the next day with the Brick -- could have had the float for $2 less! (We drank water, instead, and used a giftcard.)

*Forster's Life of Charles Dickens -- all three volumes (III is especially hard to find) for $48 and change. I must have been on a Dickens kick right now. 

*Kept on keeping on. Especially important this month. 

FRUGAL MISSES

*Let a few things spoil. (Shame on me.)

*Missed out on a free investment lunch. (Maybe next time.)

*Messed up and paid $3 more for a Safeway pizza than I should have -- my fault. (I had to buy 2 or more to get the sale price.)

*Agreed to buy some furniture on Facebook Marketplace -- arranged for someone to pick it up...then was ghosted. Why wouldn't this lady just write and say, "It's not available anymore..."

*Got a big bouquet of flowers from Sam's -- not exactly a bargain at $15.99, but not bad, either. Split it into four for the pastors luncheon, then gave three friends each a bouquet. (The fourth one disappeared...)

*Paid 6 months insurance at once for the truck.  (Ouch) The second half of property taxes was paid, too. (Double ouch) Renewed the truck license, as well. (Wince) At least these are all taken care of. 

*Ruby had a 'belly incident' -- scrapes & scratches which then got infected. That meant a trip to the vet, and a week of keeping cloths under her while her wounds drained. (She liked the pills-in-peanut-butter, though.) When she wouldn't stop licking herself, the Cone of Silence went on -- which she hated. (She's doing fine now, but keeps a safe distance from the Cone.)

"Hopefully, I look pathetic about all this..."

*STILL no progress on the wheel claim. They made a lowball offer; we said no, based on evidence. They said they'd get back to us -- more than two weeks ago. This, after we trudged down to Trinidad to pick up the then-repaired truck. Which WE paid for. (Triple ouch)

*ALMOST fell for a "Joann's" scam. I, you and the fencepost know that Joann's filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. What isn't quite as well known: they negotiated an arrangement with debtors that not only let them emerge from bankruptcy, but allowed them to keep all of their locations open, 

    Good for them.

    Unfortunately, that didn't keep some enterprising Brit from announcing a "Joann's 80/90% off sale," complete with "free shipping". Whoo hoo! I spent more than an hour putting various items in my cart, went to checkout -- and suddenly got an even larger discount. Sure, the page said it was "protected" and listed all sorts of reassuring icons -- but they looked a bit fuzzy. Suddenly a phrase came to mind. Wait a minute -- Joann Fabrics was www.joann.com . Why was this website different? 

     Then I checked the 'contact us' page -- and it listed a personal business, including address, for someone in Great Britain. 

     Whoops. I promptly deleted the page, and wrote a warning to you, Gentle Readers, on FB. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this scammer took more than a few quilters in...I was all set to start notifying friends and family of the great "bargains." 

      Glad I didn't. And even happier that I didn't fall for it, either -- but it was close. Moral of the story is still 

         "If it sounds too good be true -- it probably is."

 Last month's report is here.  June 2023 is here -- and the 2022 version is here. 

 Keep on keeping on -- that's my motto right now. Hopefully it's yours, too.

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Plugging Away

Still trying to keep up with everything. I just seem to be tired all the time. Is it Covid...or what they always blamed it on in high school -- "mono?" (mononucleosis, for you scientific types out there.)

Fortunately, I have no 'outside' duties this week -- but I do have a bunch of appraisal reports to finish up. It never ends. 

Meanwhile:

Biblical archeological sites that have been looted.  Sad.

A couple is returning to their Lyons, CO home -- and a deer jumps on top of their motorcycle! Husband is killed; wife is in bad shape. (Who knows about the deer...)

Michael Jacksons' kids are blocked from receiving trust funds until the IRS checks everything. 

Makes you hope that, unlike their dad, they have some money stashed away in the bank.

A single Reddit post, done 'anonymously' (and out of guilt, I suspect) exposes a student on scholarship at an elite college -- as a fraud. Be sure your sins will find you out.

Robert Kiyosaki explains how he invests -- and spends. 

"Further illustrating his unconventional financial mindset, Kiyosaki expresses a marked skepticism towards traditional cash savings. He references the U.S. dollar's disconnection from the gold standard in 1971, advocating instead for the accumulation of tangible assets like gold and silver. This strategy, he claims, has resulted in him amassing $1.2 billion in debt—a situation he nonchalantly accepts, quipping, 'if I go bust, the bank goes bust. Not my problem.'"

If I were a bank lending to this "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" author, I'd promptly demand he pay up. Now.

Oklahoma farmers are exposing a dirty secret -- Chinese-owned pot farms, where the employees carry weapons and drive pretend Amazon trucks. Whoa.

And one of the stranger stickers I've seen lately:  Nicolas Cage -- in a banana.

Have a great week.