A Look at Morocco

Looking through the window of a casbah

Our Gate1Travel guide Ibrahim was a delightful man who showed us the best of his country through geography, history, and people.  From Rabat on the coast of the Atlantic through to Atlas Mountains to the edge of the Sahara Desert back through the mountain oasis of Ouazazate to Marrakech to Casablanca, we generous people and feasted our eyes on things we will never see again.

Courtyard in a medina of Rabat

Family outing in the city of Sale

Happy to be in Morocco on the way to Fez

Roman Ruins of Volubilis

  Karavanseri (Hotel for Caravans) now a museum

Our camels waiting to take us back down the dunes

Seriously, we were at the edge of the Sahara Desert. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be there, let alone get there on a camel. 

The variety and beauty of olives

Lunch in a Berber tent

Algerian food is tangines and couscous

In Fez at a leather-dying factory

While so much of Morocco is rural and unique, the cities are highly Westernized. Is that good or bad? Older cities like Fez and Marrakech have managed to balance what is uniquely Moroccan with some modernization. Newer cities like Casablanca are a bit scary in that they are so modern. Look at this picture from our hotel room.  We could hear the call to prayer through the din of the evening traffic.  The city highrises surround little flat shantytowns, where the poverty is visible. 

Morocco is a country of contrasts - the snow-covered mountain tops of the Atlas Mountains and the beautiful desert foliage, shepherds in fields and aggressive souvenir hawkers, the sands and the oasis, the seacoast and the high plateaus.  It's a country where you view life through a vastly different window.

 

We're Off on the Road to Morocco!

We leave shortly for Morocco, a lovely 12-day tour of the country.  While we are gone, the kitchen is being redone.  What an exciting time!

This baby quilt for Project Night Night -  the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild's spring charity work.  This 50" x 60" quilt will be packaged with a stuffed toy and a book and given to a homeless.  The blocks of this quilt were made at the January CMQG meeting using improvisational foundation piecing.

                             
Here's a second quilt in process for Project NightNight from an on-sale jelly roll at Joann's. Do you see Weeks and Bill's book Quilts Made Modern in the corner of this picture? I'm using the cover design - I used it once before with great success - for this project.  So when we get back from Morocco and when the kitchen is back in order, I know exactly what I need to do to make the mid-April deadline. 

For my viewing and design pleasure, I have combined three additional fabrics with the beautiful Marcia Derse fabrics I bought at QuiltCon.  I look at Yoshiko Jinzenzi  books.  And then I think.  And then I look at the fabrics.  I need to get a fabulous white, much more refined than a Kona.   I'm thinking of a new bedroom quilt.  Just thinking.  I might cut a 2" strip from each fabric and just play. 








And here's that pile of Oakshott cottons I bought at QuiltCon. I am having difficulty finding grommets that size made of metal. These fabrics will be sewn horizontally, and I'm pretty sure I will use Soft and Stable . What isn't pictured here are those projects in the can't-wait-to-start/finish pile? That beautiful set of batik scraps from Beth, the pile of jeans that I want to turn into kick-ass shopping bags, my bridge piece, those two beautiful black/coffee batiks, the Moroccan designs I'm coming home with.


Leaving the studio full of projects I want to come home to?  Priceless.

Getting lost in the Blogosphere

So many bloggers have made connections through their blogs.   One of my favorite bloggers is Carol from QuiltFever. She does clever things with her guild, on her own, and is my constant reminder about the value of charity projects - she spits them out with great regularity.

Carol sent me a link to this tutorial to Sew Create It on a divided basket after seeing the knitting basket I made with Wayne. This is fabulous - I have to make one.  But what really caught my eye was the reference and link to Noodlehead's blog.  Fellow Chicago Modern Quilt Guilder Emily Lang was the one to pointed me to Noodehead's tutorial for wide-mouthed ditty bags and then I got lost with some of her other things, like a pleated zippered clutch.  Emily's blog is Mommy's Nap Time - look at this Weekend Tote she made for Quilt Con!

At QuiltCon It was fun to witness some personal face-to-face meetings.  Emily had a chance to meet Anna Maria Horner whose blog Emily has followed for some time.  Emily also met and introduced me to Thomas Knauer of Thomas Knauer Sews. He approaches quilting from an art history background, which is something new to me.  My two favorite blogs are Jacquie Gering's Tallgrass Prairie Studio and Chawne Kimber's Completely Cauchy (I was wanting to meet her at QuiltCon but didn't). Both of these amazing women bring a definite political bent to their quilt works, and both have taken heat.  Thomas, Jacquie, and Chawne have made me think about my work and what I want to do.  They are artists who walk the tight rope of creativity and follow strong inner voices

Just now in writing this post I went to the above blogs to get their exact addresses to copy and paste.  Each time I had to force myself to come to this because each mentions several other links that I need to explore.

I love my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild and the friends I have made  - this group has influenced my work.  I love my friend Wayne and the way we can talk about and share our work/play/art.  And I love the riches of the quilting blogosphere.

No pictures.  Just thoughts...

Fun Sewing Date

My buddy Wayne's daughter Emily is a knitter. She spotted this bag and suggested her dad make her one. And of course whatever Wayne does, I have to do, too. So Wayne and Emily came over, and we made Emily's bag and mine. While Wayne did most of Em's sewing, it was fun to teach Emily some basics and she was a great gopher! I'm so crazy about the red and black bag that I may have to learn how to knit! Both bags have some nice interior pockets, are 17" long, and 8" tall.


Earlier in the week the women at my nail salon, Nailz4U in LaGrange, welcomed a new baby into their family. This little guy has a quilt, but his mom wants something she can throw on the floor for the baby but can also be folded up easily. So this whole cloth quilt is 36" x 45" and batted with flannel - a perfect weight for what the mom wants. Above Timmy's little floor quilt is a zippered pouch for granddaughter Nikki. She's 16 this month. Grandpa John has tucked sixteen 10's into this little purse.

QuiltCon: What I made, bought, and scored

QuiltCon was such a great experience in so many ways.  Every lecture I heard was so interesting, and the exhibition of quilts was so beautiful and inspiring.  The variety of classes offered spanned every possible quilting interest.  I took one full-day class with Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio. She's a founding member of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild, a current member of my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, and an executive board member of the Modern Quilt Guild, the same board which successfully organized this first modern quilting conference.  Jacquie's class was on architecture-inspired patchwork.  I'm not finished with this piece but am pleased with what I have so far.  A lot of the fun of this class was seeing what others created during our short time together.  Jacquie is a teacher who commits herself fully to the creative process - I am amazed at her ability to think on her feet and problem solve.  The inspiration picture is one from my Columbus, IN brother.

  Wow.  So much to chose from.  These three Marcia Derse fabrics seem to fit in with the Asian direction my eye seems to be heading towards.  The little bundle of shot cottons caught my eye - at $20/yard this is not a casual purchase.  And despite vowing to not get another purse/bag pattern, I had to buy this one.  I won't even begin to list the things I did not buy, including an Oliso Iron.  I'm intrigued by it and used it all day in my workshop.  But I can't tell whether I really want it or whether I'm just having a case of iron envy.
There were some goody bags which contained a lot of advertising and a nice variety of freebies - some charm packets, some Aurifil thread (yippee), and some interesting bags/totes. In talking to the Kona representative who thought she knew me, I did confess that the one thing I was looking to purchase was a Kona sample card - and she gave me one. Nice! At Luana Rubin's lecture on Color Trends, I was one of 15 who won a doorprize - a fabulous packet of 25 fat-eighths. Luana is from eQuilter.com, the place where I do most of my online fabric shopping and I think I'm a fitting recipient! I'm proud to be a modern quilter. The charitable focus of my local guild, of other guilds, and of the Modern Quilt Guild brings many to tears. There were 46 quilts created for the Austin, TX Children's Shelter. In meeting other guild officers, what we do for charity was at the forefront of our discussions. Are you wondering why I'm not posting what I saw? Every quilt exhibited at QuiltCon is worthy of priase, and others do such good photography. I'm sure I'll point you to some of these quilts in the days and weeks to come. Heather Grant did a wonderful presentation on the design fundamentals of Modern Quilting. These design elements include negative space, no borders, minimalism, graphic color palettes, improvisational piecing, (alternative) grid work, asymmetry, exaggerated scale, pixelization, modern traditionalism, and texture. Modern Quilters use these techniques - certainly not all of them at once - in various combinations. For me, texture and minimalism are at the top of my list. I had a chance to hear Yoshiko Jinzenji Friday - her work is stunning. I think I'll go to her two books, both of which I have, and try to center and prioritize my growing list of what I want to do first. ...from the quilt by Nancy Scott of Berne, IN - a large quilt using negative space

QuiltCon Linky Party

Going to QuiltCon in Austin, Texas from February 20th - 24th is terribly exciting for me.  This first modern quilting convention will have displays and vendors and quilters who will provide all the creative nourishment I could ever want.  Over 15 from the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild will be in Austin, and we are proud to have a charity quilt ready for the Austin Children's Shelter.  What fun it will be to see this quilt hung with the others.  Also, Erika Sews from our guild has a quilt which will be exhibited - Erika is also embroidering name tags with our Chicago logo!  That girl is clever.

 So for this Linky Party, here are 5 things you probably already know about me:

1.  I loved teaching high school English, but I love being retired even more.
2.  I'm overwhelmed by the whole modern quilt movement and the impact it is having on my work and my aesthetic.
3.  Involvement with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild is yielding some of the best friends ever.
4.  No matter how much time I have to sew, it is never enough.  With recent parental issues and stepping up volunteering for AAQi.org , I'm having to be much more selective about what sewing I do.
5.  My husband and traveling with him make me happy.  In March we are going to Morocco. 

And here are 5 things you may not know:

1. After I taught in Chicago for two years, I backpacked around Europe for the entire 1973 summer.
2.  When my husband gave me the "being Miss Piggy at the banquet of life" lecture, I listened intently.  I traded my piano for some stained glass pieces and have never looked back. 
3.  I went to a small Christian liberal arts college in East Tennessee - Milligan College.  Every fall this native of Chicago gets homesick for the mountains.
4.  I had a short-lived career as DoJo the Clown when I was in my early 20's.  
5.  I'm old enough that I once had a stash of calicoes.  

I am constantly agog.  Even as recently as the seeing the winners of the Madrona Road challenge.   When I was cutting these fabrics for distribution at the guild meeting, I was thinking "ho-hum." But then I see these pieces and I'm all like , "OMG! These are fabulous!"  You know, that whole Gaaahhhhl-leeeeeee thing...  I feel like Gomer Pyle at each show and tell our guild has.  We have some quilters who just amaze and inspire me.  Yes, Emily Bruzzini and Emily Lang and Erika Sews and Jacquie Gering and the Sarahs and Jen and Beth and Eileen and Robbi and Rachel and Terri and Karen and Ebony and Sue and Melissa and - wait, this list could go on for a while.  I'm feeling like Miss Frances from Romper Room.  My point:  I'm looking forward to QuiltCon.

A Happily Received Baby Quilt

Evocative Quilting

Life's issues have been on the dark side the past two months. My mom will be released from rehab in 10 days. Even though she is physically healthy-ish, she is mentally blank. Very pleasant but blank. My father is even sadder, retreating more and more into himself and his world. What has lifted my spirits is the welcomed pregnancy of my niece Jennifer. That there is a birth balances out other current events. As I did the math for this quilt - the design was created by Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio and used with her permission - I found myself getting lost in the process and in the color decisions. I loved seeing this come together. And almost best of all, I loved doing the quilting. There is something so soothing about laying in rows and rows of stitches. That textural payoff is well worth it.  Jacquie calls this quilt "Outside In."
 

There was  a shower for Jen in NYC on Saturday, January 19. We have had Book of Mormon tickets for Sunday, January 20, in Chicago for 18 months. I told Paula I really couldn't go and worked hard not only on this baby quilt but also on the diaper bag/tote which serves at the quilt wrapping. (This tote is great - it's zippered, has a zippered compartment on the outside, two generous inside pockets - Jinny Beyer fabric). I figured I would get them in the mail by the 12th. But wait! I remembered that John and I have flight vouchers for Southwest Airlines because we missed our December trip to Charleston, South Carolina, and these miles expire in February. So the perfect solution: go to Manhattan for the day. And so I did.  Yesterday I left Midway at 8:30, got to LaGuardia at 11:30, shower in midtown at 1, and returned to LaGuardia for a flight at 7. John was at Midway and I was home by 9:30 last night?  Gosh, does this make me a jet setter?

It was good to be at my niece's shower.  Focusing on Jen and Tim and their little Baby P balances out the events at the other end of life's spectrum.  Perhaps I'll listen to the Lion King soundtrack and "The Circle of Life" as we drive downtown for Book of Mormon.  

Quilt Courier

I wish I could take credit for this quilt, but I'm just the courier. The seven blocks of this quilt were submitted to the Modern Quilt Guild as part of the QuiltCon Block Challenge. The Modern Quilt Guild's goal is to put a quilt on every bed of the Austin Children's Shelter - Austin is where the Modern Quilt Guild is holding its first convention in February 2013. These 7 blocks were sent to the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild for our donation quilt to the shelter. Thanks to a clever layout by Iris Johnson and even cleverer execution of this layout by CMQG Program Chair Sarah Shulman, Debbie Bookman, and Debbie Pine, this top (and look at the wonderful backing), this quilt is ready for quilting. The top and backing have travelled 50 miles from Vernon Hills to Lemont, the home of T and F Quilting Studio and Terri Karls.

Once this is quilted, bound in orange, and washed, I'll do another post. (The last time I used the word courier in a blog post, you wouldn't believe the spam the post generated....)

Happy New Year!

It's good to find time to sew. A year ago I was setting blogging goals for the year, and I have followed as some of my blogger friends have assessed their year's work and set goals for the new year. With all that has happened, I am thrilled to find any time to sew. Setting and assessing goals isn't for me right now. My mom is slowly rehabbing at Plymouth Place, a mile away. So it's easy to pop in for meals or therapy sessions. The background of this picture is the back of a baby quilt for my NYC niece Jen. Her shower is January 19, and I'll blog about this quilt then. Meanwhile, it does provide a nice backdrop for some improvisational and foundation-pieced blocks, preparation for the January CMQG meeting!