Bali Day #1

I was hoping to share tons of photos from my first day in Bali. But I don't have much to share right now. Why? Because I am so electronically disabled? First, I left my camera at home. I had been using my iPhone for trips, but decided I was unhappy with the quality of the photos. I especially disliked the yellowness of the photos. Then before vacation, I went and bought a new SD card with 16G of memory so I wouldn't run out. Well, guess what? I left that camera at home.

I decided to buy a digital camera while we were in San Francisco. I didn't know there was a difference in memory cards. I got a great deal on a camera. When I returned to our hotel today to upload the photos, I realized the difference in the size of the memory card kept me from uploading it to first my iPad and then Don's computer.

So after spending a wonderful day, I have just a few photos to share. We went to a tiny private batik factory to print our own batik with beeswax and a chop. Watched them dye it and then set the dye with soda ash. They actually sprinkled the granular soda ash on the fabric. I usually soak the fabric in a soda ash solution. I think this sprinkling enhances the mottled look.

After lunch we went batik fabric shopping. I have to tell you that I was overwhelmed. We all descended on one shop because it was the only one open on Sunday that sells american style batiks. It was a madhouse. How much fabric would you buy if it was $2.50/ meter?heres my pile.

I also bought a beautiful copper chop.

This is what they use to apply the wax to the fabric. I can't wait to go home and play.

This is the view from our hotel balcony.

Life is good.

Tomorrow I promise to revert to my iPhone for photo taking. Arghhhh!

 

2 Days in San Fransisco

Two days in the city by the bay in anticipation of Bali. How much could I squeeze in?

Here's a photo overview. Warning if you're on a diet. There was lots of food.

 

Boudin - the home of sourdough bread. I got very carbed out. Roasted tomato soup in a bread bowl.

They make these adorable and yummy sourdough animals.

 

It was a bit chilly, so I had to have a hot chocolate with a chocolate chip cookie at Ghiradelli.

AND we had never had an In n Out burger. Is it or is it not better than 5 Guys? East Coast vs West Coast?

Drum roll please? Better burger, better fries! West Coast wins.

To work it off, or realistically to be able to zip my pants, I rode a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. It was an awesome experience. We were lucky, the weather was good and there were not too many people. (I took a selfie :-) ). Do you believe the color of the sky?

A little fabric shopping at World famous Britex. Four stories of mouthwatering fabric and notions.

They had a huge selection of Kona cottons. I just had to buy a bit.

And I couldn't resist San Fran fabric. Oops! It's sideways. You get the idea. Britex is even there.

Then a bit of sightseeing.

Alcatraz

Painted Ladies.

Heading to relax on the airplane to Bali.

 

Feeding A Quilter's Spirit

I am still unpacking from my teaching stint at MAQ.  It was a wonderful experience, as an instructor, to stay in one place and really get to know students over the course of 3 days.  I can't wait to go back next year and reconnect with my new friends.  my classes will be chosen by the board, so I don't know yet what they will be, but mark your calendars - July 18-20.

 

My friend Kathy flew in from Utah to take a workshop from me.  We met during a workshop from Lisa Call in Philadelphia last year.  She has been spending a few days with me, which has given me an excuse to leave my studio and visit some highlights of the Philadelphia area.  Monday we went to visit The Barnes Foundation.

This museum recently was moved from a Philadelphia suburb to the city amongst a lot of controversy.  Dr. Barnes, a wealthy scientist,  collected and arranged its contents, which includes a ton of paintings by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso along with PA Dutch blanket chests and metal hasps, in a specific format to fit his view of art. He collected the art before it was popular.  His collection was not well received by art critics, so he turned it into an exclusive educational facility with limited access. He died in the 1950's.   Specific instructions were left in his will about the collection, that included leaving it in the suburbs.  It has since been moved to downtown Philly, as the culmination of a lot of wheeling and dealing.

 There is a great documentary about it called The Art of the Steal.

 

 I have been to see the collection in the suburbs a couple of times.  This was my first visit to the new Barnes.  Other than the cavernous lobbies with expansive seating, the collection is presented in an identical manner.  If I had been blindfolded and dropped into one of the rooms, I would not have known the difference. 

 

Yesterday, we just had to head to Lancaster County to check out the Amish and a bunch of fabric shops.  A couple of other women from MAQ joined us as we visited the best of the best.  We started at Burkholder's, then  stopped at Zooks and then The Country Store.  And of course lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, The Kling House, where sitting on the porch you can watch the Amish buggies clip clop down the street.  At The Country Store, we came across the Pennsylvania/New York Row By Row Quilt Shop Hop.  There are over 60 shops participating in Pennsylvania. 

 

Each shop has instructions for a row of the quilt.  This is the pattern from The Country Store:

 They also had a kit for the pattern.

 The theme for the rows is country fairs.  These canning jars are perfect for Lancaster County.

The we were intrigued by the shops participating in the Shop Hop.  We started our trip back home so that we could stop at one more - The Quilt Shop at Miller's.  Their row was a pinwheel pattern , and they also had a fabric license plate. We found out that some of the shops have them. (cost $3.99)

 

I think I need to make something from it.  Stay tuned.

 

Shopping Websites

Staying along the same theme - shopping for fabric, check out this website. It's an internet fabric shopper's paradise: (Thanks Kelly.) http://www.fabriclist.com/

Also, today I had to make a run to Hayloft Fabrics in Morgantown. Believe it or not I needed some fabric! I asked the ladies if they shipped outside of the U.S., since I had received an e-mail from a Canadian quilter, who told me that she pays $15/meter of fabric. Hayloft does ship to other countries in a flat rate envelope that costs $12.95 US and will hold 6 to 7 yards of fabric. Check my previous post for their website address.