Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.
~Seneca
Saturday DH and I took the day and traveled up the valley to a quilt show in Fresno (more below). We had a wonderful time just spending the day together. Sunday was a full day of clothes washing but the evening was spent with some friends we hadn't seen in far too long a time. It was nice to catch up with what's all happening in their family. But now it's Monday and time to get back to the sewing machine!
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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY
Ladybug
It's almost that time of year when I will start seeing ladybugs in my yard. Ever since I was a child (yes, long, long ago) I have loved ladybugs. It is probably one of the few flying bugs that I don't mind. They even tickle when they crawl along my arm or hand. Here are a few interesting facts I found on ladybugs:
* Ladybugs are not bugs. The term “bug” refers to a group of insects that have mouthparts that form a beak for sucking. Ladybugs have mouth parts for chewing.
* The official common name for ladybugs is lady beetles
* Ladybugs are born black
* Ladybugs hibernate in the winter
* Although ladybugs eat garden pests such as aphids, spider mites, meanly bugs, and scale they also eat pollen and nectar and can be cannibalistic if food is in short supply.
* In order for a ladybug to fly they must beat their wings 85 times a second.
* In the past, ladybugs were dedicated to the Virgin Mary and were thought to have supernatural powers.
* Larvae are alligator-like in appearance
* Adults may live up to a year and may lay up over 1,000 eggs.
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FRESNO QUILT SHOW
Saturday was a wonderful day to travel up the valley. Spring is the one time of the year when everything is green instead of ugly tan. We went north to Fresno to spend some time at The San Joaquin Valley Quilters' Guild 2012 Springtime in the Valley Show. The building was barely big enough to hold all the quilt on exhibit and the multitude of vendors they had. Unfortunately, the lighting was very poor so some of the photos do not show off the quilts at their best. Here are some of the beautiful creations we viewed:
"Stars and Stripes" by Michele Carlson. This was a round robin challenge that involved five quilters.
"My Hummingbird" by Cheryl Pocock.
"Country Barn" by Sheron Schiller. This barn is located on Hwy 46 and anyone who travels from the central valley to the central coast is sure to recognize this barn.
"Brilliant Cut" by Michele Carlson. This quilt was made with satin and minky.
"By The Sea" by Nancy Lord. I apologize for the blurriness but the textures in this piece were amazing. The sand appeared to be created from a natural linen and then shells, drift wood, and bits of lace all added to the dimensions of this quilt.
Here is a close up of the shells and driftwood she used and the bit of lace to the water's edge.
"Rainbow Robin" by Michele Carlson. With the cramped space of the room, I was always able to get back far enough to get the entire quilt it the photo like in this one. This was also a round robin made by the same five women who created "Stars and Stripes" above.
"Floral Fantasy" by Sandra Larson. This quilt was full of bright, spring colors.
"Outside My Window" by Helena Wood Pietro. This was a challenge piece. The challenge was never really explained but I'm guessing it had to do with birds.
Untitled by Nancy Quarnberg. This was another challenge quilt. I just loved the whimsy in this piece :)
"Cherry Blossoms and Daffodils" by Laura J Fisher.
"Red Hot" by Sandy Clark. The photo does not do the colors justice in this quilt. The reds were so much more rich and vibrant. This was a favorite of mine.
"Spiral Galaxies" by Deborah Gira. This was another case of not enough room to get the entire quilt in the photo. Part of the center design looked painted from a distance but when you got up close...
It was actually thread painting. Just gorgeous.
"Tico Time" by Ann Dellavalle.
"Teton Trails" by Kathleen Heinrichs.
"Pretty Fish" by Sue Rosa. This little piece used an amazing amount of little pieces of fabrics.
"Dragonflies" by Kathleen Heinrichs.
We had a very nice time and all of the White Glove assistants were very pleasant. One thing my DH and I both liked is that they placed the quilt description paper on the side of the quilt. They then folded that paper in half so that half went to the back and you could use that to paper to "Peek at the back" and didn't have to wait around for a White Glove person. I hope that in two years at their next show that they are in a larger building with better lighting. And would you believe, I didn't buy a single thing?!? Sometimes that just happens. I hope you enjoyed viewing some of the show quilts with us.
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TODAY'S GOAL
Today I am going to start a doll quilt for my swap partner in the newly started Doll Quilters Monthly.
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GIVEAWAYS
(Sorry for the lack of giveaways - not much computer and blog reading time the last few days)
1st Lady of the House is having a giveaway. You could win a GO! Baby AccuQuilt machine and your choice of 3 dies. This giveaway ends Friday, March 30, at midnight MST.
And Sew We Craft is having a giveaway. You could win a Hullabaloo charm pack. This giveaway ends Tuesday, March 27.
And Sew We Craft is having a giveaway. You could win a Hullabaloo charm pack. This giveaway ends Tuesday, March 27.
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FINAL THOUGHT
