My First Quilt Show of 2017

Now that I am spending more time in the lower 48, for a while at least, I am able to attend some of the big quilt shows here.  The first one is “Quiltfest” in Pigeon Forge, TN.  It is an annual event and this is the 23rd year of this show.  One of the unique features is that this is a “free” quilt show. This does not by any means indicate that it is less than any others.

The space is brand new and very large.  The quilts are fabulous and varied,  the classes are great and fill up quickly, so plan ahead for next year.  The people are wonderful.  Full disclosure, I have been a member of one of the quilt guilds that helps with this show. While it is sponsored by the city and many other companies, we do provide information and man/woman power for the show.

This is just a small sample of the over 500 quilts in this show.  None of these are made by me nor do I even know who did make them.  I just wanted to share some of this beauty.

A Photo A Week Challenge: Atop

This is one of the views from the Piper aircraft we flew in around Anchorage, Alaska.  This is an area where three glaciers come together and have formed a lake from the “calving” off the glaciers.

This was taken from the open door of the Piper as we landed on the waters of that lake.  The small iceberg in the photo is larger than the aircraft we flew in.

Another view from the airplane as we are going back to Anchorage.  You can see the tall buildings in the background with some of Anchorage spread out below us.  There is a lot of water and a lot of large trees within the city so a surprisingly large number of wild animals live within the city itself.

Probably one of the best trips I have ever taken, and if anyone ever asks you to go, do not hesitate, just say… Yes!

<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/atop/”>Atop</a&gt;

 

 

 

 

A Photo A Week Challenge: Hands

This was not a photograph about a hand, but it is now.  While traveling with a friend last summer, we were on a tour just outside of Anchorage.  At a beautiful spot to view the mountains and a glacier forming in them.  My friend pointed as I snapped the photo and her hand was immortalized as she is pointing out the glacier on this  cold and overcast day.  Even with that Alaska is just beautiful and I can’t wait to go back for my next visit.

Cornflower

Cornflower, it is a chicken or egg kind of question.  Is the color named for the flower or vice versa.  In any case a lovely shade of blue as well as a charming flower.  Also a color found in sapphire gemstones.

A field of cornflowers in bloom is a wondrous thing to behold.

Just a beautiful is a quilt that incorporates this lovely color.

Cerulean

Our color quest has taken us to Cerulean blue. Cerulean is a deep blue used by artists in oil painting as a good depiction of sky colors.

It was used by Monet in the sky and looks smashing in modern art as well.

In clothing this color looks good on almost everyone.

Very beautiful in a quilt as well.

 

Pacific Blue

With the color challenge I have the joy of recalling my first time to see the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful Pacific Blue. As a Midwestern girl, the ocean was a part of a bucket list that I did not know I had yet. In my 20’s I moved closer to the east coast and had the opportunity to see the Atlantic in various places.

We had our great lakes so what could I possibly need with an ocean.  It was just saltier than my lake. So not until after I was in my 40’s did I go to the West coast to see the ocean.  The ocean was secondary to seeing a good friend in Malibu who had an ocean view for part of the day.  Early morning was the joy of seeing the fog move up and down the hill. Then a car ride and a stop on the beach to put my toes in.

Out in the evening, seeing the ocean as a backdrop to activity in Los Angeles area was very fun.  Houses and restaurants overlooking the ocean.  As we drove around to do a bit of sightseeing, I felt the unknown, until then, difference in the air as we got closer and further from the ocean.

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This chair is a good representation of this color, however, I think this quilt is the color and the feel of Pacific Blue.

100th Blog Post

I guess I am the only one truly impressed with this feat. When I hit the button to publish, no confetti fell from the sky nor did some band strike up the music.  It was just me sitting with my laptop and a total feeling of satisfaction.

I can say with full authority, that I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. It was kind of like my turning 70, I truly did not plan for this to happen.  I thought I would put up some pictures of the adventures I was having as I was spending my summer in Alaska and turning 70 while I was there.

My original purpose was to communicate with my family in a simple fashion, so I did not feel the need to call everyone regarding my circumstances.  I found that I was getting way more feedback from strangers, than loved ones.  I truly have been enjoying the process of the research and the photography and the writing. I also think some of my skills in these areas has improved.

I did not expect this to become almost like a part-time job for me. I fully intended to stop when I left Alaska, that is no longer the case.  I have jumped into a bloggers universe and am trying to follow-up on a couple of challenges.

I am working on a weekly photography challenge and a daily color challenge.  The color challenge last for only 120 days otherwise that would take over everything else.  I am still doing some of my travel blogging.  In my case it all ties into my age, not getting any younger, and the adventures I am still in search of.

I hope that readers will continue on my adventures and I hope I inspire some of you to take your own adventures, however that presents itself to you.  Huge “Thank You” if you have read and or commented or like any of my posts.  Please stay with me for I truly feel “the best is yet to come.”

 

Blue Green

This is part of the Color Your World 120 day challenge and a difficult color to write about, because it fits into so many others. Depending on where in the color spectrum you have a paint chip card from the store you will have a variety of blue/green shades.

I like a blur of the colors to create that beautiful blue-green.

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So is it somewhere in the middle or off to one end or the other, I think like with art much is in the eye of the beholder.  Now here is a quilt I really like.

Outer Space

The color of outer space kind of baffles me.  Is it the color I see when standing on earth trying to see as far as I can above me, is it the psychedelic color that appears in my mind. Not having been in outer space, I can only take a cue from others on this.

As I look at the definition, I get lost and am grateful to those who understand this kind of thing. Neutrinos and low density particles mixed with electromagnetic radiation sounds like the Ghostbusters movie to me. So, I opted to do some of the fabric selection available now if you were making a quilt about outer space.