Sunday, January 25, 2015

San Francisco - January 2015

A couple of weeks ago friend and co-worker Cathy C. and I visited San Francisco, about an hour and a half from where I live. We drove to the nearest BART station, then took BART into the city, getting off at 16th Street Mission, near Fabric Outlet. The fabric prices are quite reasonable, I think, for San Francisco. I was hoping to find some fabric to make a pair of pants but came out empty-handed.

Fabric Outlet

Cathy and I had lunch at Taqueria La Cumbre, just a couple of blocks from Fabric Outlet. The restaurant has been seen on Man vs. Food.

On the walk back to BART, we came across these musicians playing in front of a restaurant. I got the feeling that they play for the customers and happened to be outside as we passed by.

We got back on BART, getting off at Embarcadero, and walked to the Ferry Building.

Boccalone, owned by Food Network Chef Chris Cosentino (Chefs vs. City)
They offer a sampler of meats in a cone, but we had just had lunch so I passed.

Outside the building
Escalon is just a few miles from where I live. I took the photo for my friend and co-worker Kathleen C.

Mushrooms

I'm not much of a cook, but my daughter-in-law Laurie is a great cook. Cathy, who enjoys cooking, and I spent some time at Sur La Table. A few years ago when I was at Sur La Table, I sent a text to Laurie, asking her if she wanted anything. Her answer: Everything! So on this trip I bought a gift card for Laurie's birthday. I gave it to her about a week ago. She loved it, and has already ordered and received her items.

Miette, a bakery seen on Food Network

Seagull near the Ferry Building

Pink scooter
Photo taken for my daughter Lisa, a motorcyclist who once owned a yellow scooter that she named Mollie. Lisa's helmet is pink, and her biker nickname is Pink.

Browned butter shortbread from Miette
Cathy and I enjoyed a few with our Starbucks.

Cathy and I made our way to the BART station to catch Muni to AT&T Park, where we were to see Cirque du Soleil - Kurios.

On the walk to Cirque du Soleil. This was the first time I'd seen the bridge up. After a small boat sailed under, the bridge lowered again. Surprisingly there was no gate to prevent pedestrians from going up the bridge. But I figure someone would be arrested for trying to pass.

The tents at Cirque du Soleil

Kurios was a great show. This was my sixth live show, the fourth in San Francisco. Last year it seemed that I'd seen it all before. I'd go with Cathy (who had to stay home at the last minute a year ago), but that would be it. However, I was totally wowed with Kurios. It renewed my interest in future shows.

After the show, Cathy and I walked a few blocks to Delancey Street Restaurant. The servers are residents of Delancey Street, rebuilding their lives after they've hit bottom. The restaurant is nice, with good food and the prices are quite reasonable for San Francisco.

After dinner Cathy and I caught Muni back to the BART station, then rode BART back to my car. It was a fun day with a good friend.

Debbie

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Click! Click! Click! Click!
For drummer and church band buddy Austin M.
Partly from stash
Original design
51" x 66"
Completed 1/7/2015

Close-up
Drum-themed fabric. White free-form Xs imitate drumsticks, with four Xs in each row to represent four beats in a typical measure. Title Click! Click! Click! Click! is the sound of the drumsticks being hit together at the beginning of a song to set the tempo.

Theme fabric, purchased at Pacific International Quilt Festival last October
This print was just right for drummer/percussionist Austin.

I've been planning to make a quilt for Austin for a couple of years, since delivering Superman Opus No. 2 in A Double Flat Minor to mutual band friend Andy D. I presented the quilt to Andy on his birthday, after a band rehearsal. Austin saw the quilt and asked jokingly if it was for him. Turns out Austin and Andy have the same birthday! I decided right then and there that I needed to make a quilt for Austin.

Fabrics for the quilt, gray and off-white from stash

Electric Quilt sketch

Testing width to make drumsticks

Trying out drumstick shape with scrap fabric
I considered slashing squares, inserting strips, then slashing again and inserting additional strips.
I decided it would be easier and faster to applique strips to background fabric.

Scrap fabric

Pressed one edge

Pressed the other edge

I like the dimensions of the finished strips, which will represent drumsticks.

Took width-of-fabric strips of the gray, divided in fourths, marked with nips in the fabric.

Masking tape at the quarter marks

One strip marked with masking tape

Trying out set of drumsticks

Four sets of drumsticks

Pinned in place

More pins

One drumstick folded back out of the way while the other is sewn in place

One drumstick sewn down


Both drumsticks sewn down

One strip done

Strip with theme fabric

Three strips completed

Drumsticks trimmed even with background

Drumstick strips and theme fabrics

Trying out rust strip

Rust strip is a bit shorter than theme fabric and a lot shorter than the drumstick strips.

Added chunks to both ends of rust strips

Close-up
Dots indicate seam where extra rust fabric was added.

All strips sewn together

Edges trimmed

Just a few inches of rust fabric left. That was close.

Border added to complete top

Once again, the finished quilt.

Enjoy yor quilt, Austin!

Debbie

Thursday, January 01, 2015

2014 Quilting Accomplishments

Early in 2014 I made a list of quilts I had in my mind, some of which had been bouncing around in my head for years. Over the past 12 months I've kept track of the quilts I made from that list, as well as the ones that were surprises - unplanned and unknown at the beginning of the year.

The results: I made 10 from the possibilities list, plus 12 surprises. Of those 22 quilts, 18 were throw size; the others were wallhangings. Wow!

Here is the list of possibilities and finishes:

POSSIBILITIES AS OF EARLY 2014ACTUAL FINISHES IN 2014
Titles in Red have become realityTitles in Red were on the possibilities list
Art Deco (Fast Friday Challenge)Colorful, Comical Dogs
Balkan Puzzles times 3Edna's New Signature Quilt
Can't Sleep*New - Horses
Coffee Road*New - Feathers
Donna*New - Hearts
Draw from the HatCha Cha
EdnaPurr-fectly Purple
Gigi*New - The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goes to the Beach
Homes of Daly City*New - Why So Sad?
JocelynBloom Where You're Planted
JordanManila Quilt Design
Karin*New - Relay For Life 2014
Kathleen*New - Country Lanes
Liberated Quilts*New - Darlene
Lighthouses 1*New - Rabbits and Flowers
Lighthouses 2*New - Super Mario Brothers
ManilaRoses for Kathleen
Mary EllenPizza Flowers
North Wind*New - Halloween Birthday
Paris BlueStanislaus Family Justice Center (2)
Parts Only*New - Dotted Irish Chain
Quilters' Playtime
Red-Winged Blackbird
Samantha
Sherrie
Solitude (Fast Friday Challenge)
Solvorn, Norway
Square in a Square
Stanislaus Family Justice Center (6)
Tango
Tricia
Vicki C.
Wolf

Debbie

Dotted Irish Chain

Dotted Irish Chain
For now-retired co-worker Patty L.
Traditional Irish Chain quilt blocks, dotted swiss-like background fabric
Pink fabrics are all from stash.
52" square
Completed 12/3/2014

Close-up

The clues given to me by my spies were: Patty's Swiss and Irish heritage, light pink and traditional. I combined all of those elements into the design of the quilt.

Dotted Swiss-like background fabric

Pinks from my stash

Traditional Irish Chain block

Blocks laid out on the design board

Made a few adjustments

Trying out border fabrics. In the end, decided to go borderless.

Quilt top finished

Once again, the finished quilt,

Enjoy retirement, Patty!

Debbie