Quick Trip to Chicago

After manipulating the corners of the inner border, I decided on this spinning effect. It requires a  partial seam but that's easy enough especially on such long strips. It just blends with the spinning pinwheels. {The other choice was a courthouse steps arrangement. I forgot to snap a photo and I'm not going back. This woman is on a deadline.}

Scientific Pinwheels quilt layout

DH and I flew to Chicago last weekend for baseball. We'd had the trip planned since last year and he encouraged me to take a break. I could have taken a photo of the entire Wrigley's sign but loved that the Cubs flew state, city, and team flags for their opponents.  We arrived early the first day for a stadium tour. Wrigley Field is the second oldest baseball stadium. Their rich history combines well with some recent updates.

Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs

The next day we toured the Chicago Institute of Art. Silly me. I thought it was mainly a school but they have an enormous collection of art: paintings, sculptures, textiles, artifacts. Having learned from previous experience we selected five galleries to tour thoroughly and left the rest for another visit.

I never realized Seurat's painting was so large. And there was always a crowd in front of it.

Crowds viewing A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
by Georges Seurat, 1884.

The painted border is an interesting detail I never knew existed. This is not a mat. It's painted on the edge of the canvas. So quilters aren't the only ones who add borders.

Detail  of the border of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
by Georges Seurat, 1884.

I thought this was a "one-off" paint technique until I saw Vincent van Gogh's Fishing in Spring, the Pont de Clichy (Asnieres) nearby.  Influenced by Paul Signac and Georges Seurat, the Neo-Impressionist style emphasizes scientific use of color theory. You can see many aspects of Seurat's technique in this painting including the bright red mat Vincent painted around his picture.

Fishing in Spring, the Pont de Clichy (Asnieres)
by Vincent van Gogh, 1887.

Chicagoans rallied to preserve their city's landmarks and the Chicago Architecture Foundation leads river tours of the varied skyscrapers of downtown. We thoroughly enjoyed ending the day with a sunset cruise while watching the lights go on. So informative, so lovely.

Nighttime Chicago skyline from the river

When buildings are torn down, artifacts are offered to various foundations and museums. The Institute displayed several in their Grand Staircase. Don't you love the Art Deco elevator screen?

Artifacts of Chicago's past
at the Institute of Art

Now that we're home I can finish the Scientific Pinwheel quilt. Good thing because the new dad visits soon.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Back to the Scientific Pinwheels

I'm home for a couple of weeks for some rest and recuperation. At least I thought it would be that. DH mentions the scientific baby quilt several times a week and it is time to finish it up.

Home has a design wall so the first thing was to lay it out again.

Scientific Pinwheel baby quilt in progress

I wasn't happy with the pinwheels as the inner border and thought the quilt could use a quiet area. Then I quickly added more pinwheels in dark to balance the inside and outside. Good enough.

Next was to make some quick Chinese Coins for the inner border. Driven by the design wall, it seemed they should be soft and light. Like this.

Building an inner border of Chinese Coins
for Scientific Pinwheel baby quilt

And just as I was congratulating myself on an "original" design, I read Audrey's post at Quilty Folk. Look. Almost the same quilt. Nothing new under the sun; just variations on a theme.


Enjoy the day, Ann

AHIQ #33 - Scale Change

I have not quilted at all this past month. Too busy... but I did write about a family quilt we found at Mother's. We know we are lucky to come from a family of makers. We know that history but we can prove it because she SIGNED HER WORK. Sirena passed away long before any of us were born. There is a faded photograph of her but no evidence my mother met her. If she hadn't signed this quilt no one would know its provenance, its importance to our family history. Take the same care for your family. Sign and date your quilts.

I made a few visits to family to deliver small mementos. Driving in Texas involves hours behind the wheel. In fact, you can tell a Texan because if you ask how far away something is, they answer in hours rather than miles. "Amarillo? Oh, 'bout five hours away."

The scenery may appear desolate to others but I love the undulating plains of north Texas. The photo doesn't do it justice.

View of North Texas plains 
from the Hedley safety rest area

Texas DOT is upgrading the old rest stops with new safety areas combining picnicking, restroom, DOT facilities, and tornado shelters. If a thunderstorm builds while traveling, these are welcome sights indeed.

However, because it's Texas, beware rattlesnakes.

Picnic table at Hedley safety rest area, Texas

The Coca-Cola Building in Dallas has a Foucault pendulum. I enjoyed watching the movement of the pendulum while eating my sandwich last week. If you stay long enough, the pendulum rotates through the circle.

Foucault pendulum,
Coca-Cola Building, Dallas TX

Kaja has all the scoop on Scale Change. Be sure to check out her site and all the links.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Scale and AHIQ 31

It's going to be a hard year again for our family with many decisions to make. After a month of non-stop sorting I realized everyone needs a weekend. Like any full-time employee Monday through Friday will now be spent clearing out the house and estate. Weekends are free to sleep in, read, quilt, visit, recharge. Putting this plan into practice, I attended the Dallas Quilt Show followed by dinner with my favorite nieces. When I lived in the area I was a member of this guild {and also a program chair - my perennial office.}

As a large show that offers cash prizes (winner's list here) it draws out-of-town and even out-of state artists. Several were prizewinners at other venues. For example, Cynthia England's Reflections of Cape Town was the Best of Show at 2016 IQA in Houston but was much easier to see here since we could spend more time up close {and frankly, in better light.}

Reflections of Cape Town by Cynthia England

There were many beautiful quilts - both purchased patterns and original designs - but these attracted my attention for their use of scale.

Carol Morrissey abstracted a photo of her grandson with circles in a variety of colors and sizes. After spending a while here I believe the background is one solid grey fabric (with perhaps  a bit of texture painted on it). Carol created his face pointalist fashion by identifying the major portions of light and shadow. As always the beauty is in the details such as his chin, both ears, and the white highlight in his eyes.

Jake by Carol Morrissey

Using Carolyn Friedlander's Envelopes pattern, Rachel Kent incorporated letters to her father in Happy 60th, Mr. Postman to celebrate his milestone birthday. I assume she mailed prepared fabric to people who wrote a message on it. Did she mail special pens, too? Then it looks like she fitted their responses to different sized envelopes. Again, did she outline various boxes for people to stay within? All the replies are fairly "square." I'd have expected a few people to create long rectangles if they didn't understand the intended use.

Happy 60th, Mr. Postman
by Rachel Bryan Kent

Terry Mosher used varied the size of bars to create his Hippy Trippy Christmas based on a Kaffe Fassett design. Of course I see another Chinese Coin variation in this two-color medallion. {I see them everywhere now.}

Have a Hippy Trippy Christmas
by Terry Mosher

Red and green always make lovely quilts. Most of them are definitely seasonal. I think this one could be used year-round. It reminded me of my Watermelon quilt - a red, green, and black quilt that evokes hot summer days.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.