After the rigors of the Arapahoe County Quilters show most of last week, I didn't feel like doing much of anything. 'Dead beat and plum tuckered out,' as the Brick puts it. A good long rest helped. So did going away mentally for a while, thanks to a movie from the other side of the world. Operation Chromite: about Douglas McArthur's attack on Incheon during the Korean War. An unusual war movie if you're American -- but interesting. The bad guy should give lessons -- he's scary/amazing. Back to work. I'll be posting photos from the show sometime this week...there were some beautiful pieces there.
Thursday this week (June 15), I'll be teaching for the Quaking Aspen Quilt Guild in Boulder, CO. Subject? Something I rarely cover, except in asides: all about handkerchief history! I'll be showing many examples, including handkerchief and regular patchwork quilts. Come on over; meeting's from 12-3 p.m. Info is here. Stop by and say hi.
This is what Hanky Panky looks like, quiltwise! Photo courtesy of Barbara Brooks
Hey, teachers out there -- if you buy a regular menu item during June & July this year, your coffee is automatically free at Krispy Kreme! (Be sure to show them your school employee i.d.)
I've known several educators who work very, very hard, including my dear friend Chris. It's good to see others recognize their efforts.
A ton of beautiful quilts, in a variety of techniques and styles.
A healthy mix of vendors selling fabric, threads, kits and more. (Yes, I bought some.)
Great food. Whoa, try the homemade cinnamon rolls -- they are amazing.
This is the show's last day (Saturday) -- if you're in the Denver area, or visiting here, it's at the First Plymouth Congregational Church at 3501 S. Colorado Blvd. (Go west on Hampden -- yes, toward the mountains, fellow Coloradoans! -- from I-25. You only have a short time before turning south - left - on Colorado. The church complex is right on the corner. You can't miss it.) * * * * * * * Life has been extra interesting. We've been stuffing a lot in.
Our dear friend Thommy landed back in the hospital for surgery and recuperation all week. But Thom and Chris also had: *a severe reaction to one of the meds, with an itchy rash resulting, plus a fever. (Thom) *their fourteenth grandchild (born mid-week). Welcome to the world, sweet baby! *a supper for 18 people (next day) *another son's family visiting from Alaska -- which meant DIA pickup/return trips, entertaining the kids...and figuring out where everyone sleeps *taking care of those same kids while son and his wife enjoy a cruise all next week. ( Thom said, "She'll be watching the kids. I'll be resting." Of course, this was all planned months ago, when everything was hunkydory.) AND Chris had to finish out her last few days of teaching for this year. I asked Chris, "Why does your family have to do everything at the same time?" She smiled: "That's just how we do it." We still have Son #1 working on the bathrooms, the usual mix of dogs and chickens, plus jobs and music for Worship Team. (The Brick is leading this Sunday.) So... Every minute either the Brick or I could carve out has been spent staying at the hospital with Thommy while Chris valiantly took care of kids, grandkids, food and work. Thankfully, Thom's recovering nicely and headed home today. It's been mostly me at the hospital during the show. (The Brick did it earlier in the week.) That's meant 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. days pretty much all week.. And a LOT of driving. Then I get home, hack through the jungle at the house... and fall into bed to do it again the next day. Today's the last...for both the show and this crazy schedule. Then I can 'relax,' and just do the normal things: Like washing clothes. Drinking coffee, instead of rushing off somewhere. Petting the dogs. Sweeping the grit off the floor. Meals that don't come out of a can, cobbled together from leftovers, or grabbed from a restaurant. Plus finish off the results of three days' worth of appraisals...and more Stuff like that.
In true Colorado fashion, it's gone from chilly/rainy to broiling/sunny -- fast. The plants are loving it -- you can almost hear them growing. I am well aware that I have about a week (two, tops) before the ground gets too hard and dry to do much good in the weeding department. So I spend an hour in the morning, and another one (or two) in the evening, pulling out grass. The flowers look grateful. I've also found several bushes and perennial clumps that survived the winter, but were cowering under all that grass. The bullies. Son Keith is pretty much finished with the guest bathroom. He was painting in there tonight, and will finish installing the mirrors, lights, towel rack and such tomorrow. The tilework looks especially nice. (Look for a post on this later in the week.) So far, we've spent less than feared -- but still, no other room in the house has had so many new items in it at the same time. Then it's on to the master bathroom. Special Note: I will be appraising at the Arapahoe County Quilters' annual show, the Festival of Quilts, this week, Thursday-Saturday. If you need a quilt or textile piece 'done,' I'm your girl! The show is going to be quite wonderful -- if you're in the Denver area, be sure to stop by.
...all you need are swim noodles or cardboard rolls, some extra muslin or cotton batting --
and a big pot, basket or other holder.
I saw this first at friend Cindy Thomas's house:
She bastes muslin/batting around a noodle or cardboard roll, gently rolls the quilt around it...and stores it upright.
Noodles are only a buck each at your local dollar store. Cardboard rolls are often free!
Just make sure to have muslin or batting wherever the quilt would touch.
(Not a bad idea to have the quilt rolled onto a second piece of fabric,
wherever it normally would have contact with itself; it would touch the protective layer, instead. Helps prevent crocking and other problems.)
Roll loosely...you don't want your quilt to stretch too tightly! (This method keeps it from developing foldlines, too.) Secure the roll with a ribbon or scrap strip of fabric to finish.
It's a wonderul way to enjoy more of your quilt collection when space is at a premium.
It's useful for rugs, coverlets and other textiles, too.
Thanks, Cindy, for sharing.
Her website is atColorado Creations-- patterns, finished quilts and more.
Ever since I posted the first version of this, more have come to mind. Somebody explain these -- please! *Why do you run out of sauce long before the rice/potatoes are gone, no matter how hard you try?
*Why does my sewing machine run out of bobbin thread just before the last seam or two? *Ditto for lawnmowers and gas. *What exactly does "boogie woogie" mean, anyways? (See the B-man mentioned below.) *Why do dogs and cats sleep so much... are they bored? Do they really need that much sleep? Charley & Abs are clocking in a good eight hours or more, just during the day. Abby has this weird habit of clicking into the bedroom about 1 a.m., staring at us, then clicking back out to her blanket. She repeats the action about 4 a.m. Is she afraid we're going to the Bahamas in between?
*When it comes to us and sleep:
Don't forget about your toes, too.
We've mousetrapped a couple of denizens from the Spring Rush. The other night, I dreamed that my pillow side of our bed was full of little brown bodies. A few more were dangling from their tails off the bedside light. Woke up the Brick, thrashing around to get away from them. Maybe it's their revenge, from us feeding them to the chickens. (Who love them, by the way -- they're delicious..)
*How come I can tell by the smell when baking items are 'done'... but the Brick could cheerfully walk by until they're actively burning? (This one REALLY puzzles me, since he is quick to catch too-brown items on the grill.) *Why is it that a watched pot really doesn't boil that much? (Do pots know you're watching?)
*Kathy Griffin apologizes for being crass and disgusting. (Although ISIS, with its policy of decapitations, no doubt is proud of her.) Did she really think holding a bloody 'head' of Donald Trump was in good taste, to begin with...was she just sorry she got a huge negative reaction? Or did she suddenly see the light? (Frankly, I think it was dollar signs. She lost some lucrative work because of her actions.) See what you think.
*Why does the Denver International Airport (DIA, otherwise known as 'the bra commercial') feature a red-eyed, rearing, snarling Bronco, full 'tackle out,' as a welcome? The Blue Mustang, also called Blucifer, has the honor of having killed its creator, sculptor Luis Jiminez, during construction. For more on the Bronco statue, and other DIA conspiracy theories, you'll enjoy this.
If you're wondering, "Is it really that creepy?" Yes, yes, it is. Especially at night.
For more fun things to do in Denver, besides stare at Ol' Blue, go here for a good-sized list. Be sure to reassure him I didn't mean anything personal by it.
*When you've got a multi-connection plane ticket, why are the gates practically miles away from each other? Atlanta is especially good at this. Kansas City and Chicago are right up there, too, but DIA also does its part.
*Speaking of airports:
Yikes!
Little kids are known for staring under the stall doors when you're in a public bathroom. (Particularly little boys.) But what about this?
Must have gotten lost.
*Why is Hillary Clinton blaming everything and everyone she can think of, for her November election loss? Her recent interview is highly illuminating. High on the list are everyone who think the "nothing burger" of her e-mail system was important. (After all, James Comey cleared her by declining to press charges, right?) Next on the list are misogynists; anyone who has a problem with her getting big fat speech honorariums; Those Mean 1,000 Russian Agents; Wikileaks; the New York Times; and finally her own party. From the interview: "She complained that when she became the Democratic nominee, she inherited a data machine from the Democratic National Committee that she described as 'bankrupt' and 'on the verge of insolvency.' 'I inherited nothing from the Democratic Party,' she said. By contrast, Clinton noted, her opponent had access to the resources and data of the Republican National Committee -- a sentiment the RNC immediately took note of and began circulating."
Let's see. Who else can go on the list, to prove she had nothing to do with it? "I take responsibility for every decision I made," she said. "But that's not why I lost." Maybe she could blame a heinie or two. Or make a little list:
*Why is Donald Trump playing so much golf? And why is he charging the American people for staying on his own property, the Mar Lago resort? Isn't this the man who promised to be straight and open...and stop wasting money? Recent figures suggest that more has been paid on the Trump family's behalf for lodging, security and other expenses in the past six months, than the Obamas spent in years. (And I thought some of their trips, like Mrs. O's and the girls to Spain, were way out of line.) As of late February 2017, he'd made three trips, at a cost l of about $10 million to American taxpayers. And he's been there a BUNCH more times since then.
(See, Gentle Readers -- I told you I was an equal opportunity griper, politically speaking. I'm actually registered as a Democrat, but have voted independently for years. Regardless of Mrs. Clinton's assertions, it's the person, not the party.)
