You Just Might Be A Quilter

There have been many articles and posts over the years in quilt-related groups that “send up” the joys and idiosyncracies of the quilter.  One of my favourites is “When you have more fabric in your house than food, you just might be a quilter”.  I’ve decided to put the best ones together in a song for the next recording. 

What are your best “you just might be a quilter” stories?  Have you ever thought of making batting out of cat hair?  Or lint from your dryer? Have you ever cooked a vat of stew on Sunday so that you wouldn’t have to cook again all week (leaving more time for quilting, of course!)?  Do you keep all your used and cut threads in a container just in case you want to start “art quilting”?  Do you save your selvedges for a future quilt? 

I once heard of a woman who, in designing her new house, had a laundry chute placed just inside the back door.  Alas, one day when she was at work, her husband and the architect were discussing it, and couldn’t understand why it would be there, as the laundry room was on the other side of the basement.  So they removed it from the plans!  We quilters know why it was there, so she could toss the bags of new fabric down there as she entered the house (to hide it from her husband, of course!). 

She just might be a quilter!

Another woman was in a minor car accident.  What was her first call:  to her husband?  to the Automobile Association to get a tow?  to the police?  Nooooooo – she called her quilting friend to come and get the stash out of the trunk, before her husband found out!

She just might be a quilter, too!

If you’ve heard of any good stories like this, please let me know – there’s still time to get them into the song! You just might be a quilter, too.

A quick visit to Anacortes

I just got home from a quick visit to the Northwest Quilting Connection in Anacortes, WA. It was a lovely day!  Alas, the Sidney-Anacortes ferry was out of service for the week, so what should have been a quick trip over was made a bit longer.  We had to take the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawassen, and then enter into the US through Blaine.  The joys of living on an island!!!

The NQC meets 5 times a year in different locations, and encompasses quite a large area, including parts of British Columbia! We met some fans, some friends, some friends of friends, and a whole lot of people who had never heard John and me sing before. They were most generous, even feeding us a beautiful lunch after our morning show.

Many people came up to me afterwards to tell me stories, say nice things about my quilts and music, or make some connection.  There was a friend of Karen Ostheller, who sent me the stuff I needed to write “Shop Hopping”.  A few Canadians who have seen us at various events, including Ottawa many years ago.

One beautiful woman introduced herself after having seen my little hexagon piece (which STILL isn’t completed!).  She said “My name is Tess Herlan, and I started the Paper Pieces company, that made the templates for your 1/4″ hexagons”!!!  I was delighted to meet her.  Here we are together:

Tess calls these little hexagons "Insanity in a Bag"!!

So…. IT’S TESS’ FAULT!!  People still think I’m crazy to be doing these.  This piece is almost finished (2-1/2 years later), but I have plans for more.  We have a big tour coming up, and I’ll need something to do in the car…..

A New Year, a New Decade

There’s something about the turning of the years. I get all sentimental and thoughtful.  Even when I was in my younger years, I would always set aside time to write in my journal, trying to make sense of the year past and make plans for the year ahead.

It seems even more vital to do these things when it is a turning of a decade.  The last ten years for me have been absolutely amazing.  Rather than sinking into folk music oblivion, wishing I’d done something different (like have a hit album…), I re-invented myself (with John’s help), stopped trying to get through a wall that kept hitting me in the head, and took a new path.

Ten years ago we were in Darwin Australia, living for 8 months there while John worked on a planning contract. I was taking quilting classes, meeting some amazing new friends, and discovering stories to write into songs about quilting. It was hot, but I sat under the ceiling fan every day, making quilts and trying to come up with songs.  I had no idea at that time how it would change my life.

So, what will the next decade bring?  I have no idea.  There will be at least one new CD recorded (I’ve already booked the studio time for this coming August). There will be more quilts made (I still have lots of fabric in my stash). There will be many more miles driven (we have a huge spring tour throughout America all ready to go). There will be new faces, new friends, and maybe even I’ll get started on a book I’ve been thinking about.

How about you? Will your resolutions lead you into new areas?  My main resolution this year is to stay focused on the important stuff.  I haven’t yet decided on how to tell if something IS important, but I think I always know, in my heart of hearts. There are two new quilts in my head that I’ve been waiting to start. I have all the fabric, and the main designs, but I have let other projects get in the way.  They are important quilts for me to make, for various reasons, and they will be challenging, and my job this year is to DO THEM!

For those of you who have been following the saga of the carved sign: it was delivered at Christmas, and they loved it.  Here they are, opening it, on Christmas Day.

They will do the finishing on the bear before he goes outside.  I’m hoping for a brownish stain that will bring out the texture of the fur.

We had a great Christmas in Oliver, BC – a perfect Canadian Christmas, I think. We had snow, a fire in the fireplace, family, wood-splitting chores, sushi, gingerbread houses, turkey, and magnificent skating on Vaseau Lake.

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful holiday season.  Now the Big Question: what are your plans for the next decade? How will you make a positive difference in this world? I read something in the Globe and Mail paper today suggesting that we all write our own epitaphs, as a way of helping us focus on what change we would like to bring into our lives (rather than just making New Year’s Resolutions).  How would you like to be remembered, and how will you get there?

Okay: let’s get going!

Of singing and carving and quilting

We just got home from our quick visit to Sammamish Washington to the Block Party Quilters’ Club meeting, and our last performance of the year.  This was an unusual gig, in that we donated it to the Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters show last year for a silent auction.  The person who “bought” us was Barbara Magill, a longarmer from that guild, and, it turns out, a huge fan.  She was there, of course.

Barbara Magill and I at the Block Party Quilters Club

Barbara reminded me that she and I go back a long way: she was also one of the quilters who contributed her experiences when I was writing “You Can Quilt That Out”, my song about longarmers.  It was delightful to watch her singing along with great enthusiasm as we did the show.

It’s always wonderful to help the celebration of a special event at a guild meeting. In this case, it was their last meeting before Christmas, and there was a huge spread of delicious goodies that people brought.  We were enthusiastically received and ended the year’s touring on a very high note.

Home again, with three weeks to the day before Christmas.  I am still carving, and am about halfway there to completing the wooden sign for John’s daughter.  It’s a lot of work!!!  If this was a quilt, I’d be doing the binding by now…..  I think I’ll return to quilting after it’s done. This is what it looks like now:

And yes, I’m doing it in the kitchen – it’s warm, the counter is the right height, and the light is good. My kitchen floor has NEVER been swept so often!

I have been quilting a bit, too, though.  I can’t carve for more than a couple of hours a day — too hard on my hands.  So, in the other hours, I’ve been working on a kaleidoscope quilt, a la Ricky Tims’ instructions.  I attended his Super Seminar in August, and am finally getting around to working on some of the things I learned there.  Here’s my kaleidoscope quilt so far – it still needs some borders, quilting, etc.  The colours are based on the amazing jacaranda and bouganvilia trees that were in full blossom when we were last in Australia – a year ago!

J & B Kaleidoscope

A New Song

Because I’ve booked studio time to record a new CD next August, I am taking the songwriting fairly seriously just now.  I’ve joined a group of songwriters here in Victoria who get together every couple of weeks to discuss the art of writing songs.  A meeting consists of each person “checking in” – telling everyone else what’s going on with them – then we start playing new songs.  The others listen carefully, after which a benevolent critique happens: did the song make sense?  did it resonate? is it interesting and catchy?   That kind of thing.

I have joined this group to find the impetus to write some of the many stories I have collected into songs.  Somehow, when there’s a meeting every two weeks, it’s helpful.  Deadlines are very good for me (that’s why I’ve booked the studio time in Toronto BEFORE I have all the songs done!). Otherwise, I’d be downstairs in my sewing room, quilting…

Last weekend, I realized I had nothing new to sing for them that afternoon.  I took advantage of a quiet Saturday morning to write a new song about an old story – one that’s been awaiting my attention since I read about it, several YEARS ago!  It’s from Ruth Finley’s book: Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them, first published in 1929. 

The story involves an old unfinished block that she describes – an appliqued oak leaf, with the needle rusting in the fabric.  (Remember she wrote this in 1929, so the block must be REALLY old now!) The family story that goes along with this block is wonderful.  It involves a young, beautiful and wilful girl who falls in love with a young whaling master. Her father disapproves of this union, and locks her in her room (working on oak leaf applique) until she comes to her senses.  After two weeks, she agrees to marry a local gentleman of her father’s choice, and marriage plans are made.  One day, she and her friends are clamming on the beach, and they see a ship anchored offshore.  A dory is rowed across and they go to meet the sailors in it.  One of them jumps on the beach, and the girl runs to his arms.  He carries her away into the sunset, leaving behind the unfinished oak leaf block.  They marry in Rhode Island, and word comes back that on their honeymoon voyage they run into a typhoon in the China sea and sink, all hands aboard. 

I think maybe the family has embellished this story over the years, or perhaps Ruth Finlay did, but: does this not scream to be written into a song?  But what kind of song? How to tell it?

As we drove across from Boise to Hood River and Kent Washington, we were listening to an NPR folk music show which featured a beautiful song called “The Lass of Glenshee”, sung by Lisa Moscatiello.  I thought – that’s exactly how I should write the song about the oak leaf block!!!

So, that’s what I did on Saturday morning.  It’s funny, how a decision like that will simplify everything.  It took only about an hour and a half to write the whole thing.  I sang it at the songwriters’ group, and they liked it.

Another one for the next CD.

We also set challenges for each other at these  meetings.  Guess what the next one is?  Everybody has to write a song about quilting!!! lol   I did not set this challenge, I’ll have you know, but I can’t WAIT to hear what these guys write!!!

As for me, I’m going to try to put all my quilting parodies into one seamless song… It’s going to start:  Mothers, don’t let your babies grow up to be quilters……

 

Blame it on Wall Drugs

Greetings from Rapid City, South Dakota!!

The first time I ever drove across the Prairies in Canada, people asked me if I found it boring.  Miles and miles (kilometres and kilometres) of flatness, wheat fields, the odd cornfield, big sky.  I never did find it boring, and I still don’t.

But just in case you do start to nod off on the drive across South Dakota, the kind highway people have now made it more interesting.  It all started with Wall Drugs and their clever ad campaign.  We noticed it in 2003 when we first drove the I-90 heading west.  I believe the first sign for Wall Drugs was about 150 miles out.  They kept appearing on the side of the road in increasing frequency until we got there, just east of Rapid City.  This time, I decided to conduct a statistical survey… it’s not that fascinating a drive, and anything to keep us both awake will do!

I saw the first sign as soon as we got into South Dakota, about 330 miles away from Wall.  By the time we were 200 miles east of Wall (130 miles later, if you are counting), we had seen 17 billboards advertising various attractions of the store, like souvenirs a T-Rex statue and 5 cent coffee. 

Between 150 and 200 miles out there were 14 more billboards.  Wall Drugs also sells leather goods and handmade donuts.  These billboards were not always big – some were very small, very old (the T-Rex sign said “new” but it was really faded), or set in the middle of the farmer’s field, far off the road where you had to look for it.

They must have gotten tired, or maybe people have lifted the signs between 100 and 150 miles east of the store – I only saw 6 billboards for Wall Drugs!

But they made up for it in the next 50 miles – 15 billboards in all. We were getting within 50 miles of the store, and the pressure was on.

In the 30 miles following, we saw 9 billboards.  Between 10 and 20 miles out, there were 11.  And IN THE LAST 10 MILES we saw 22 billboards.  (There was even one AFTER the exit, telling us there was another way – but it was our last chance….). Have you been counting?  By my count, and I’m sure I missed a few, there were 95 billboards – just from the east.  I reckon there are as many on the other side.

The signs got more desperate as we got closer.  By the time we got to Wall, we learned that they sell camping supplies, Western art and home decor, there’s a “shootin’ gallery”, you can pan for minerals (gems and gold), they serve homemade ice cream. They’ve been open since 1931. They also sell boots, hamburgers, pie, wood carvings and cowboy boots. There’s a bar there. There’s a travellers’ chapel.  They offer free coffee and donuts for honeymooners. And if that’s not all, they provide FREE ICE COLD WATER!!  (I guess this might be a selling point in July, but it didn’t do anything for us at the end of October.)

But do they sell drugs?

Now, this would be bad enough, but since we were last through in 1993, other towns and tourist traps must have hired the same promotion company.  There are more billboards on the I-90 in South Dakota than we’ve ever seen anywhere else in the world!  In fact, on the “bald prairie”, there are times when you can’t keep up with the reading as you speed by.  That must be why they put more than one sign up – just in case you missed it.

These include the Sioux Museum, the Corn Palace (only one in the world!), the Old West Trading Post, Al’s Oasis (they say they are the largest shop for 200 miles – I think I know what the next one is: Wall Drugs!), and 1880 Town. They all have MULTITUDES of billboards touting their attractions. In fact, even the quilt shop in Chamberlain put two billboards out on the highway! 

Now, I have a rule that I developed the last time we drove along here: never frequent a place that has to advertise on the highway more than 50 miles out, nor more than twice on a billboard (once is better).

By the time we got to the exit, I felt like I had already been there for hours, and I was shopped out!  We drove right by and continued on into (snowy) Rapid City.

YEEEEEEE HAW!!!

On our last day in Fort Worth, our good friend Martha Stookey took us on a sightseeing trip downtown.  She hadn’t visited the 2 year old National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame before, and we were keen to see it.  It was marvellous – truly capturing the spirit of the Cowgirl. The Hall of Fame included female bronc riders, barrel racers, professional trick riders, movie stars (Dale Evans was honoured), poets,  and even musicians like Patsy Cline, and Pasty Montana. Cowgirls have indelibly left their mark on the western scene, and they’ve been there from the beginning. It was just delightful to see some of the old footage, and costumes from long ago.

The museum is housed in an old Art Deco building, with a fantastic trompe l’oeil mural outside.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Inside, we found a short film on cowgirls and a significant western art show by women artists.  Georgia O’Keefe is one of the honourees in the Hall of Fame, so they include artists in their inductees.

I think I was most impressed by some of the pictures of trick riders from the 1930s. What they could do on the back of a galloping horse!!!  They must’ve been in incredible shape, and had a close relationship with their horses to carry off their acts (not to mention glittery costumes that clearly inspired Liberace and Elvis!). If you’re ever in Fort Worth with a day to explore, I would highly recommend this museum.  I just checked their website at http://www.cowgirl.net/, and found out that they are looking for staff.  YOU COULD WORK THERE!  (I think I’ll tell my cousin Jane about this…..).

We continued our tour of Fort Worth with a visit to Martha’s childhood home, and then we headed down to the Stockyard area, where the cowBOYS are found.  Something was going on that day – lots of horse trailers everywhere, and when we drove through the Stockyards, we found the bars full, and even cowboys drinking and driving – with beers in their hands while in the saddle.  (sorry I didn’t get a picture of that – I was so surprised!)  But I DID get a picture of a couple of good looking buckaroos walking past some wagons.

Our last dinner in town was some great Tex-Mex food.  We said a sad farewell to Martha and her son Steve this morning. We’ve had a great time with them while we were in town. 

John and I with Martha

We’ve had a great visit to Texas. As we head north, into Kansas and Missouri to complete this tour, I have to expurgate “y’all” from my speech, and lower my expectations for pico de gallo. We’ve had meltingly hot and humid weather, torrential rains and chilly sunshine: a little bit of everything. As we head north, we’ll start adding layers, but we’ll remember the warmth of both the weather and the people of Texas. Until next time, y’all!

Shopping, chatting and viewing at Houston

The Houston International Quilt Festival closed today at 5pm.  I can’t believe what I packed into the day today!

As of the end of yesterday, I had seen a few of the quilt displays and most of the big award-winning quilts. Today I vowed to “do” the vendors, and, if there was still time, go back and see the rest of the quilts.  The show opened at 11am and closed at 5.  Six hours to do so much.

John and I arrived at 10 am and took advantage of the extra hour to explore the newly completed park across the street from the George Brown Convention Center.  There was a wonderful art installation, consisting of a number of globes, each decorated by a different artist who chose an aspect of “Green” – as in earth-friendly –  to feature in their work.  Many other cities have decorated bears, cows, buffalo, etc. (Victoria has had both orca whales and soaring eagles), but, so far as I know, no-one has selected the earth as its focus.  They were wonderful.  I loved the wind power globes, and the recycling globe.  Here’s a picture of John amid one row of them.

John with Globes (the convention center is behind)

The show will be there until the 31st of December, if you go to Houston. Here’s one of the recycling globes.

Recycling carpet and wood

I found some interesting things at Festival this year in the vendors’ area:

 A magnetic quilt holder that leaves no marks on the wall (http://www.magnificentquilt.com/). 

A new book by Gyleen Fitzgerald called “Quilts – Unfinished Stories with New Endings” (http://www.colourfulstitches.com/).

A magnifying glass for my sewing machine (so I can do some of that micro-stippling that seems to be on all the prize-winning quilts!).

A little ruler that will draw perfect Mariners’ Compasses (http://www.quiltfever.com/starwhiz.html).

Some Aurifil thread in shades of grey (that’s all I’m using these days for piecing and applique). 

I got the chance to talk with Marti Michell about little double wedding ring blocks (most of the ones I’ve seen are drafted at 12 inches). I spoke with Alex Anderson’s husband, John, about the Alex and Ricky show. I hung out with Morna Golletz at the Professional Quilter booth for a bit. And I saw Hollis Chatelain at her booth (with three of her magnificent quilts) promoting her upcoming travelling show: Imagine Hope. www.imagine-hope.org.  I also got to see my friend Daphne Greig (www.daphnegreig.com)  from Victoria.  She was there teaching, and she said she had a great time!

I finally got back to the quilts, and found an Australian quilter, with a ribbon on her quilt.  Ruth Bloomfield saw us sing in Toowoomba QLD several years ago, and was as proud as punch standing beside her great quilt.  It’s a jigsaw puzzle, not quite complete.  I used to love jigsaw puzzles, and fell in love with her quilt. I love the pieces at the bottom that haven’t yet been placed in the picture!

Me with Ruth Bloomfield in front of "Puzzled"

Another Aussie, Jocelyne Leath from WA won a blue ribbon for her “Royal Flying Doctor Service”, which was magnificent too. There were some Canadian ribbons as well, I’m happy to say!

By the end of the day, I had finally reached the far end of the conference centre. That’s where the Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org) had their tables. We sang for their coordinators’ conference in June 2008 in Bloomington IL, and they had just had their Linus mascot delivered (unpainted).  I was delighted to see that they had painted him up, and now he looks as real as life, and twice as large!

My new friend. Nice blanket.

So. It’s over. Another year of quilt festival.  It was great to be there as an audience this year – we didn’t have the long days in the booth, trying to see people and quilts while taking care of our own business.  It was far less exhausting and much more fun.

From here we go back north to Fort Worth.  We sing for the Fort Worth Quilt Guild on Tuesday night in White Settlement.  It’ll be the last show for a while in Texas.  I’ve already been saying “y’all” from the stage!  I’m going to have to learn how to talk Canadyun again!

Our day at the Houston Quilt Festival

I am holding in my hand a business card that was given to me this morning as we arrived at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.  We got there just before the doors opened, and the early birds before us had made it difficult to find a parking spot.  This never happens when we have a booth at Houston – we’re always there way before most of the masses!

We saw a uniformed woman on the side of the road, who stopped us and asked if we were looking for a parking spot.  Yes!  She then told us we could park all day on the street for $6.00.  Some of the lots we passed had a price of $20 for the day!  She helped me get my ticket, punching all the buttons and showing me where the credit card went (after telling me that the machine does not give change).  Then she handed me the ticket and her business card! 

Now, where I’m from, when the Parking Enforcement Supervisor gives you something, it’s usually a ticket for illegal parking. How nice that Houston Parking gals are so helpful!  Thank you Lynda Hughes!

We met with our friend Philippa Naylor for lunch after her morning class was over.  The last time we saw her was at her home in Yorkshire England.  She’s won another prize here at Houston (the biggest quilt show in the world), this time for Merit Quilting – machine.  Her quilt is beautiful.  Check out the quilt winners at http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

After lunch, I made my way over to the Alzheimers’ Art Quilt Initiative booth, run by Ami Sims and her capable group of volunteers. I had offered to  ”Vanna” for her (since when did Vanna’s name become a verb?) – to don the tiara and help her sell as many of the little donated quilts as I could. Not only was my job to show the little quilts to people if they were interested, but I would compose and sing a little song to each person who bought a quilt while I wore the tiara.  After about 15 songs, I lost count – and in only an hour and a half! 

Me with the cupcake tiara on the left, Ami in white on the right.

This year, Ami brought 1,000 quilts with her to Houston. They are very likely going to be sold out by tomorrow. That’s tens of thousands of dollars for Alzheimer’s research.  She’s a saint. If you’d like to find out more about this, or how to donate a quilt for next year’s sale, http://www.alzquilts.org/.

Then we went exploring the quilt show.  You can see the amazing quilts on their website, but you won’t see some of the things we did:

The Quilted Elephant

In the Mary Fisher exhibit, an elephant made by Hasboro toy company, with quilts made and fabrics designed  by Mary.  Everybody was taking pictures of it, he was that cute.

I’m finding myself drawn to the art quilts more often than not.  Perhaps my own quilting is starting to go in that direction.  There was certainly a lot of inspiration at the show!

We got a chance to see our friend Judy Hall, from Punch with Judy (www.punchwithjudy.com.au) in Australia.  She has been carrying our CDs for years, and we rarely get a chance to visit with her.  She’s doing some teaching in Houston while she’s there, and we only had a short time together.

Judy Hall and John and I at the Just Curves booth

Then we saw our friend, Ann Bird’s quilt, caught up briefly with Caryl Bryer Fallert (who won BEST OF SHOW!!!! Yay, Caryl!), and found out that Ricky Tims has completed his new Christmas CD (http://www.rickytims.com/ ). When I last saw him in August, he was about to fly to Nashville to mix it, and it sounded like a huge endeavour, with some songs having over 100 tracks to mix.  He told me today it went very smoothly, and only took 3 days to mix!  I can’t wait to hear it.

Tommorow, I shop. One more day at Quilt Festival. What fun!

DUH and CHUG day: Ukuleles Galore!

Our very good friend, Martha Stookey, is not only an accomplished quilter and quilt teacher, who has mentored a good many quilters in the Fort Worth area through the Berry Patch quilt shop, but she’s also an avid ukulele-ist.  We are staying with her while we’re in the Fort Worth area and she has pulled out all the stops to make sure we feel welcome.

First of all, we attended the regular meeting of the Quilt Sitters, a monthly get-together at the Berry Patch shop.  After a presentation and some show and tell, they invited me up to sing a few songs.  It was great fun, and they made me feel like a visiting celebrity!

And then yesterday Martha hosted a party of ukulele players.  “DUH” is Dallas Ukulele Headquarters (you can Google them to find out more), and “CHUG” is Coffee House Ukulele Group.  After spending the time with these talented and enthusiastic players, I’ve decided I am playing with too many strings.  Who needs 6, when you can do just as well with 4??!!  And the repertoire they have found is so much fun!

Katsu, Mark and Tom and their ukes

I can find nothing wrong with the ukulele crowd.  They can carry them on airplanes without hassle. They can play anything. They don’t take themselves too seriously. They have a great excuse for going to Hawaii to buy more ukuleles. They throw great parties. Here is what Mark had on his t-shirt:

Without U, it's just Kulele

And they welcome anyone who wants to play.  There were about 20 players in Martha’s living room yesterday, all having a great time. Oh – and two autoharps.  Ukulele players are nothing if not inclusive!

Okay – that’s it: I’m giving up guitar and throwing my lot in with the ukes!  Well, maybe not quite yet.  But if I did, I’d have LOTS more room in the car for fabric!!!!