Little Lion

          This is Swami, my neutered tom, who is sporting his summer "lion cut".  His coat is much too thick and long for sunny California, so he is transformed into a little lion every summer. He seems to enjoy swinging the tassel on the end of his very long tail.

          Swami came to me by way of a philanthropic organization called The Cat People. They rescue cats and kittens. In Swami's case, his very pregnant mother was brought by her owners to a local veterinarian. When a last minute abortion was requested, the good veterinarian balked and words were exchanged. The owners left for awhile to think things over, but never came back for their pregnant cat. Three days later, Swami and his litter mates were born at the veterinary hospital.

          Three months and two foster homes later, Swami came to his forever home with me. He has been here for seven years. He is a large but gentle cat. He is a little shy and was worried about the automatic flash on my new camera, but finally relaxed enough for me to get a good picture of him.

Don't Blink!

          Don't blink, or you won't see the top of my design table. This is the first time in over two years that it has been clear. I have had a complex applique project on it for at least that long, and I finally finished assembling that yesterday. It is now ready for machine applique, then quilting.

          The table will not be empty for long. I have been collecting fabrics for the background of a new whimsical applique.

          The three borders for the applique have been finished for over a year. I find it easier to make the pieced border or borders first, then make the center applique to fit, rather than the other way around. Conversely, with a pieced quilt, I make the center first--then the borders.

          Don't expect to see this one finished anytime soon. I have lots of machine quilting to do on two other quilts before I get to play with this. But it should be fun!

My Clover Is Over the Hill

          My Clover iron, that is.

          I had only had it for a few months before the shiny metallic layer on its tiny foot peeled off, and I was left with a black foot.

          I haven't used it since then.

          Yesterday I needed my Clover iron to fuse some tiny layers of applique so they would be secure before I satin stitched around their edges. I looked at that small foot on the iron and noticed that it was attached to the shaft of the iron with a minuscule screw. Thinking that maybe I could just replace the foot, I googled "Clover irons" online and found that the foot is not sold separately. Only the whole enchilada. Drat.

          I had my heart set on fusing my applique. I had been putting it off for a few days, but was feeling so inspired after seeing all those lovely quilts at Long Beach International that I knew I needed to take advantage of that transient energy.

          Yet I was hesitant to start, fearing that the black foot will rub off on my pastel fabrics and ruin them.

          Then it occurred to me that I could use a small, dry pressing cloth. I cut out a little square of plain white fabric. Bingo! It worked like a charm. Good thing I did. Even though there were no huge black marks left on the pressing cloth, there definitely were the occasional dark rubbings.

           I would be interested know if anyone else has had the same problem with the Clover irons. Seems a shame to have to buy a new one just to replace the foot. I don't believe Clover has any competition in the making of their specialty iron, either.

          I guess the next 50% off coupon I get will be for a new Clover iron. Hope it lasts longer than the first.

Long Beach International Quilt Festival 2012

          The Long Beach Convention Center has always been a perfect choice of venue for the Long Beach International Quilt Festival. The pretty flags that decorate the front of the building are so festive and welcoming.

          The front entry hall is spacious and elegant.

          What a fantastic place to display some very beautiful quilts! It was difficult to select which ones I would share on my blog since there were so many good ones. I tried to pick a variety from the different collections at the show.

          This one caught my eye from across the hall. It was part of the exhibit called West Coast Wonders 2012 and was an awesome seascape featuring a very realistic sea anemone by Carla Stehr. Entitled Moonglow Anemone, the artist did an excellent job of representing the translucence of the anemone's tentacles with silk organza. The texture she creates with her free motion machine quilting of the background is also exquisite.

          Dixie Dingo Dreaming by Susan E. Carlson certainly deserved to win the 2011 International Quilt Festival’s “Good For You” Special Exhibit.

          The composition speaks to the benefits that pets bestow upon our physical and emotional health. Below is a detail shot:

          This is an excellent example of the fact that most any color or colors can be used to represent something as long as the values are correct.

          On a more traditional note, Purple Poetry by Theresa Caselman, was a beautifully pieced and hand quilted work in the Hoffman Challenge collection.

          And of course, there were many more lovely quilts to be seen but never enough room on a blog to put them. The show is still open today, however, so there is time to buzz down there and see them for yourself.

          After all that viewing, and a little shopping, it was time to have lunch with some dear friends. Yummy lasagna and salad!

          A good time was had by all.

   

All Done!

          Woo-hoo! The mountain of fruit from my garden has now been contained in jars or in neat little freezer bags.

          It's a good thing. I'm off to Long Beach International Quilt Festival with my quilting guild tomorrow. We have chartered a bus, and judging by the previous trips I have taken with them, we should have a grand old time.

          I promise to post pictures when I return. I can't promise anything about how much shopping I will do at the show. Hopefully, not too much.

Elephant Hearts

          About 20 years ago, I saw my first elephant heart--plum, that is. It was huge, almost a quarter pound. And it was--er......ugly. A dull gray green skin on its heart-shaped essence. Then my friend, Debbie, cut it open and revealed its bright crimson flesh. Truly an elephant's heart! It was then and there that I decided that I had to have one of those trees.

          This has been a season of abundance when it comes to plums in my household. I didn't think it would be so. Plum trees are generally cross-pollinators and need another plum tree of a different variety nearby in order to produce fruit. Since my Nubiana plum tree had to be removed last year due to disease and general frailty, I didn't see any plums in my near future. But surprise! I guess Sister Mary Elephant found a boyfriend somewhere in the neighborhood because she has more plums than ever this year.

          Now there are plenty...

          For the makings of ginger plum chutney...

         

          Spicy pickled plums...

           And freezing for winter cobblers and just plain fresh eating!

          In the meantime, a quilt is patiently waiting for me by the sewing machine. It won't be long...

 

While I Was Quilting

          As I have been quilting with my usual passion this summer, my garden has been doing a little creating of its own. This week it has blessed me with 60 pounds of fresh tomatoes, white peaches, yellow peaches, and Elephant Heart plums.. As an owner of two green thumbs, I have found that there are consequences to my behavior. On a positive note, my garden does provide an endless source of inspiration for my quilts and plenty of healthy produce for myself, my friends, family, and neighbors.. The fresh air and exercise that I get while I am tending my plants and trees are also a plus. On the negative side, my garden does call loudly at times and demands that I leave my quilts for awhile. Like right now. I need to take care of all this fruit!