FREDDY MORAN
The quilts of FREDDY MORAN have a special energy about them. She was an art major in college, but set aside creative pursuits to raise her family. |
| Dream Garden, by Freddy Moran FreshofftheFrame.com |
She didn't start quilting until after her 60th birthday - and now warrants a special exhibit in Sisters!
I love that! It gives me hope that maybe I can be a late bloomer, too! Ha!
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| Quilts by Freddy Moran FreshofftheFrame.com |
Freddy's quilts are made collage-style. Shapes are tacked into position, and the stitching during quilting holds the layers in place.
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| Detail of Freddy Moran's collage-style of quilting FreshofftheFrame.com |
Freddy also has a fierce personal style - statement glasses, sleek gray hair, black garb, red lipstick, and bangles stacked up her arm! Tres chic!!!
QUILT CON
I enjoyed seeing some of the QUILT CON quilts in person. Not only are they striking from a distance, but the detailed quilting on some of them was a pleasant surprise! |
| Quilt Con Special Exhibit FreshofftheFrame.com |
Jacquie Gering's Building Bridges quilt is one example. It is heavily quilted with vertical lines of stitch, but she cleverly left space for words that fit the quilt's story: connect, Kansas City, passage, span, Chicago.
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| Jacquie Gering's Building Bridges, quilting detail FreshofftheFrame.com |
Another great example is the quilt entitled, Quilt For Our Bed, made by Laura Hartich and Nikki Maroon. From a distance it reads, goodnight *heart* love you, and offers an intriguing negative space that draws you in for a closer look.
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| Quilt Con Special Exhibit FreshofftheFrame.com |
The payoff was delightful!
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| Quilting detail of Quilt For Our Bed, by Laura Hartich and Nikki Maroon FreshofftheFrame.com |
Wasn't this quilt by Melissa Averinos hung in the perfect spot? The leaves look like hair!
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| Face #1, by Melissa Averinos FreshofftheFrame.com |
AB-STRAKT-ED
This exhibit is always visually appealing, and the workmanship top notch. |
| Ab-strakt-ed Special Exhibit FreshofftheFrame.com |
One member of ab-strakt-ed is dear to my heart. We met in a class three years ago, and I liked her instantly! She is personable and humble, and dropped not a hint that she had anything on display. And then I stumbled across her work. Wow!
The piecing in Maren's quilt, Peaks and Valleys 2, is so complex - absolutely amazing.
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| Peaks and Valleys 2, by Maren Johnston FreshofftheFrame.com |
Has anyone else noticed more hand stitching in people's work, lately? Here is an abstract piece by Debra Blake that has been completely quilted by hand.
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| Across Time and Place, by Debra Blake FreshofftheFrame.com |
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| Detail, Across Time and Place, by Debra Blake FreshofftheFrame.com |
Tired of quilts yet? I don't want to bore you! Maybe it's time for a new heading? How about...
SHOPPING!
While I didn't get too carried away in this department, I couldn't resist bringing home some shiny buttons from the antique shops! |
| Buttons! FreshofftheFrame.com |
I also brought home a tin that reminds me of Freddy Moran's quilts. When I look at it I will remember her fearless style.
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| Beauty waiting to be uncovered. FreshofftheFrame.com |
(After a scrub, the white bits are now WHITE again - Yuck, was it filthy!)
A BIT OF CRAZY
Much as I hate to admit it, a bit of crazy overtakes the sensible part of my brain at times. This time it was triggered by my new buttons. Well, by the storage of my new buttons, to be precise!I had a box that would make great button storage, but once they were in, I thought the buttons looked a bit...well...lonely. *cue the crazy*
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| Lonely buttons FreshofftheFrame.com |
The sensible part of my brain stepped quietly aside and allowed me to do what had been unthinkable a short time before. Sort the dreaded button tin!
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| Treasures! FreshofftheFrame.com |
To my surprise, what had been a mishmash of regular, boring buttons turned into a treasure trove right before my eyes!
There were more shiny, tiny, and unique buttons in that tin than I'd realized. Now I can see everything at a glance, and my new buttons are lonely no more!
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| That's better! FreshofftheFrame.com |
There were even enough buttons to fill my second empty container! (Not really a surprise, but it makes me happy!)
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| Still sorting FreshofftheFrame.com |
Sometimes a bit of crazy pays off.
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| Sorted and stored FreshofftheFrame.com |
Some fabric followed me home, too, but I'll save that for another day!
HOME? NOT REALLY.
Once in a while I do things other than quilt. Sometimes under protest.After my Sisters trip my husband dragged me out camping and quadding. The next day, in fact. Ugh.
"Ugh" soon changed to "Mmmmm" as I appreciated the beauty and tranquility of the surroundings.
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| Evening by the Muskeg River FreshofftheFrame.com |
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| View from The Rock FreshofftheFrame.com |
My husband's buddy, Mike, took the lead through his old stompin' grounds. He knew all the good spots to stop.
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| Mike, spotting fish from The Rock. FreshofftheFrame.com |
Long story short: pure luck and a helmet saved my husband, a tree saved the quad, and the other guys in the group jumped into action, helping to right things so we could carry on. At that point, it would have been a looonnnngggg walk back to camp. I can't even think about any other ending.
NOW I'm home. Only to be attacked by wasps as I weeded around our deck! I felt a bit traumatized by the stings and the adrenaline rush, but all their stings together were less painful than a single bee sting in the underarm. Yep. Ask me how I know! (When that happens, you never forget the burn!)
I think that's enough excitement for now, don't you? Ha!
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
I have so enjoyed your pictures from Sisters and today is no exception. OMG, the Freddy Moran quilts and the ab-stract-ed quilts. . . my knees are weak! This show is on my wish list. . . need to start preparing my husband for my absence ;)
ReplyDeleteSo glad the roll down the hill was not the disaster it could have been. I would have slid down on my butt too - there is something about being in any motorized vehicle at a slant that is just not normal to me ;) Your pictures are amazing!
Great buys, and gorgeous pictures. I have so many buttons I would need 10 of those sorting boxes, LOL!!
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing more quilts, but I am especially glad you are all okay. Take care!
ReplyDeleteWow, I am so glad you listened to your inner voice and that you, hubby, and the quad are all OK!!
ReplyDeleteThe quilts you shared today are stunning; and I do love how the tree looks like hair - how perfectly staged.
I could happily see plenty more quilts, and I'm looking forward to the fabric purchases. I love the Freddy Moran quilts, have you seen her self portrait one? And I especially love how she uses black and white with colour, that was on my list of things to play around with this year, but the year is going too quickly! It would be pretty cool to be like her come 60! Your camping trip looks beautiful, what a gorgeous river, and I'm so glad the accident didn't have a bad ending. But I feel for you with the wasps and the bee :(, hope you've managed to discourage the pesky wasps.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing all these amazing quilts - so much inspiration. I got stung once under the watch strap and that was annoying more than sore!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are sharing all of this ~ thank-you!! I know it takes such a long time to get these posts up, but I sure have enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteNature really does provide a really great 'pause and breath' button. So glad your hubby is fine!
Thanks for sharing all the quilts and pretty pics and your adrenalin story :)
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