Chicago Inspiration

My husband and I just returned from a weekend trip to Chicago. We went to attend the wedding of a young man that we have known since he was 4 years old. My younger son was a groomsman. I just can't believe how time flies, and how it passes faster the older we get. So, I was pretty excited to go to the wedding and to visit Chicago for the first time.
The architectural boat tour was our first tourist destination. Who knew that a river ran through Chicago? The buildings were just amazing consisting of so many different styles. We walked our feet off and then walked some more down Michigan Ave to Millenium Park the next day. Thank goodness for digital cameras, because I took over 100 photos. You see, this is where I find inspiration for my quilts. Building edifices, their details, the sidewalks, windows, grates are so interesting and usually very geometric. They can be translated into line drawings for piecing or conceptualized as applique. The possibilities of translating these details into fabric overwhelms me sometimes. If there were just more hours in the day.
So I would like to share some of my photos with you and maybe in the near future you'll see one of my quilts and say "I know where that idea came from".



Lattice Work






Potential applique






More applique - folk art?
















How great would this be to piece?

And how about these curlicues on a basement window?