Road Trip

Howard and I just got back from a 12-day road trip.  We put about 2,400 miles on three different rental cars - we returned the first car within the first few miles because the steering wheel was shaking and we returned the second car in Houston because it was making a scary random scraping sound.

We spent the first three days driving on and exploring the Natchez Trace Parkway - all 444 miles of it, from its end near the Loveless Cafe in Nashville to its beginning in Natchez, Mississippi. 

A few days before leaving Howard found and ordered this book, which proved to be an invaluable 'tour guide'.  We had to read the book backwards since we started at the end of the trail.  It was easy to follow though because the book locates sites on 'The Trace' by the convenient mile markers.

At mile marker 438.0 (six miles into our Trace journey), we stopped to admire this double-arch bridge.  You can see how massive the bridge is when compared to the people walking across it.  It's pretty scary for pedestrians because the rails are so low.  One false move and splat - you might end up being vulture vittles, like the deer we saw below.  I'll spare you the close up.

404.7 Jackson Falls (Tennessee)
It was more like Jackson Dribbles, but we haven't had a lot of rain lately.  It was nice and cool down there though.  It reminded us of a miniature Fern Grotto, the one in Kauai.

401.4 Tobacco Farm (Tennessee)

We had to take a picture of me with the barn, since we were 'born' in the same year.  I think that I'm holding up much better than the barn - I keep my gray covered!

I wonder if this is new 'old' tobacco or old 'old' tobacco.  Near the barn there was about a mile of 'Old Trace' that we were able to drive on.  It's an unpaved road surrounded by dense forest.  You have to watch out for critters and varmints, like turtles and stuff.

Why did this turtle cross the road?  Because Howard rescued him.  After a photo shoot, he encouraged this 6-inch-ish long snapper to cross the road with a long stick.  This is actually Howard's second turtle rescue.  The first one took place on a two-lane desert road near St. George, Utah.  He got out of the car and carried that one back to where it came from.  Then we decided the turtle might try to cross again, so Howard picked him up again and carried him to other side of the road where he had been heading.  We hopefully saved his life and saved some driver from a hefty fine for smashing a turtle.  Okay, back to the Trace.

330.2 Rock Spring (Alabama)
This stop included a 20-minute nature walk.  Check out the pictures to see what was a very pleasant surprise for us.

The book says 'you might see beavers or herons, if you are lucky.'  I'm glad I'm reading that for the first time, because discovering a beaver dam (and a beaver) on your own is really cool.  Our first day on the Trace definitely was amazing and full of pleasant surprises.

A Quilter's Mecca (Part Two)

Here are just a few more quilts from the Paducah Quilt Show.  I'm noticing that I tend to favor the quilts from Japan.

Blooming With Hope, 82" x 90"

Junko Yazawa

Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

Colorful whimsical quilts like this one always call to me.  The lollipop-like flowers seem like they're going to spin right out of the quilt.  Here's what I read about it:

Japan was cast into deep sadness after the natural disasters last spring.  Junko chooses to see the power of the future, as expressed by these vibrant flowers.

Coral Sea, 48" x 56"

Betty Busby

Albuquerque, NM

There are so many quilts nowadays that look like paintings.  There are quilters and there are artists, and the quilts are phenomenal when you combine the two.  The shimmery fabrics are really a great choice, giving the fish and other sea critters more dimension.

Ms. MacDonald Had a Farm, 83" x 86"

Hanging By a Thread

Chehalis, WA

I took a picture of this horse for my niece who loves horses.  This is just a tiny section of the Ms. MacDonald quilt.  Here's a picture of the whole quilt.

Three Friends, 52" x 47"

Sheril Drummond

Lexington, KY

Here are some more horses.  There's a subtle resemblance to stained glass without using the thick black bias strips that are typically used in stained glass quilts.

This t-shirt quilt was hanging in a vendor's booth.  I wanted to remember it because it's so different from the standard grid-like t-shirt quilt.  The wonky placement of the black framed t-shirts against the bright turquoise background makes each t-shirt stand out.

This one must have been in a vendor's booth also.  It's clever how the quilter incorporated traditional blocks into this lovely greenness.

Howard as a gazillion boy scout badges from back in the day.  This 'state trooper quilt' inspired me on how to quiltify them if I can't come up with my own really clever idea.  How would you quiltify a bunch of boy scout badges?

A Quilter's Mecca (Part 1)

When we moved to Nashville, I had no idea that we would be living 2.75 hours from a quilter's mecca in Paducah, Kentucky.  Lucky me!  In April, I got to attend the annual quilt show there.  Busloads and carloads of frenzied women descended upon the tiny city, which welcomed them us with open arms.  Jill, a friend from the Bay Area, planned her trip out here just so she could go to the show.  She can check off the Paducah quilt show from her bucket list, along with seeing The Biltmore.  Sew, here are some of my favorite quilts in no particular order.

 Hot Africa, 99" x 48"

Janneke de Vries-Bodzinga

Kollumerzwaag, Friesland, The Netherlands

Before I met Howard he got to spend a month in Africa.  Lucky!  It was hot there and since then, all heat has been compared to Africa.  For example, Tennessee summers are not "Africa hot" even though they feel like it to me - who is still waiting for the opportunity to experience "Africa hot".  Anyway, this huge quilt is so well done that it radiates heat when you stand in front of it.  (I had to use my Chinese 'hot flash' fan to cool down before moving on to the next quilt.)  The quilt was inspired by a photo that De Vries-Bodzinga took while traveling in Africa.  I'm sure that "Africa hot" really makes an impression on someone from the Netherlands!

Jam Session in the Twilight, 69" x 77"

Taeko Okamatsu

Hino, Tokyo, Japan

While I'm on the subject of Howard, this reminded me of him.  He loves jazz and I love to listen to him play the piano - even when he's practicing the same measure over and over again.  The quilters from Japan never cease to amaze me.  Most of their quilts are amazingly artistic and pay lots of attention to detail.

 Jazz, 71" x 83"

Megumi Mizuno

Shiki, Saitama, Japan

Here's a sample of the detail in a Japanese quilt.  Each of the 90 cartoon-like jazz figures is hand appliqued and stitched.  There are French knots outlining the white ovals around each figure and the whole thing is hand quilted, making this the 2nd place winner in the hand quilting category.  Go here to see almost the whole quilt.

 Granddaughters' Flower Garden, 64" x 81"

Jan Cunningham

Acworth, GA

Here's a modern take on a traditional Baltimore quilt.  I like the idea that a color background adds a lot to a 'black and white' quilt.

 Catena, 67" x 62"

Timna Tarr

South Hadley, MA

Apparently 'catena' means a connected series of related things.  I'm always drawn to quilts that play with bright colors and patterns, where you have to investigate to figure out what's going on.  First, I noticed the hexagons and then I noticed a few hexagons weren't quite 'connected' to the others.  Can you find them?  I found four.  How many can you find?

 Quilt Tidings from Switzerland, 66" x 29"

Natsumi Ohara

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Hey Charles family, this one is for you!  Ohara thought Switzerland was beautiful and interesting and based this quilt on the Swiss flag and postage stamps.  Do any of you Charleseses recognize any of these stamps?

I love all the details, especially the postage mark stamp.  This reminds me that I've always wanted to make a foreign postage stamp quilt.  Okay, that's it for today.  More quilts tomorrow.

P. S.  Howard told me he got the phrase "Africa hot" from this scene.