Fiber and Pulp

Still Trekking

Just outside of her desk window my niece has a lovely butterfly bush planted. This monarch was enjoying the flower nectar recently and showing off its colorful wings. 🙂 

We have moved on from Kansas now but I feel a need to record more of that visit before I continue our travel story. I deeply enjoy just hanging out with family but we did do some actual outings while we were in Olathe.

One afternoon Amy and I went to a maker space studio type shop. We decided to do a string art piece when we saw a sample made up. The kit included a big board (untreated wood panel about 18” x 24”), nails, wide choices of string or yarn in many colors, acrylic paints and all the tools you’d need. I also bought a generous sized bunch of silk flowers. They provided a pattern showing the nail positions to make the ‘mason’ jar design, too. Outside that, you were able to create whatever you could imagine. 

Here is what I made:

i did not remember to take a photo of Any’s work. She created a lovely blue-toned jar and later added fairy lights to the inside. Catching Fireflies is her blog so she created an image of that idea. 🙂

Another day we went into Kansas City to visit the Nelson Atkins art museum. What a wonderful place!! The architecture of the building itself is a work of art … add in the beautiful objects inside and I was in heaven.

Here are a few randomly chosen pictures from the photo array I took.

I was startled to discover that this painting was made by Claude Monet. I only know of his floral/garden works. Did not know he also did urban impressionisms (the painting is of a popular promenade in Paris’ early spring).

Once when Amy and I were driving we saw the Prairie Fire museum and I had to stop for photos. The museum was closing so I will have to visit the exhibits another time. The external view was blow-me-away beautiful and definitely worth the stop:

was a WONDERFUL visit - family love, sacred spaces, and creative outlets. Glorious!

🙂 Linda

On Trek

My brother Kevin admiring a penny covered cow figure displayed in the entrance lobby of The Dairy Barn in Athens OH. We dropped in this morning to see Quilt National ‘23. I was impressed and Kevin enjoyed the abstract art-iness of the quilts in the exhibit.

afterwards we went to visit my mother’s siblings - my Aunt Janis, Uncle Jack and Aunt Jean. I got a bittersweet moment with Jean who, soon to be 90 years old, is becoming untethered to daily reality. She did not recognize me at first … and when I told her who I was, she said “You can’t be Linda Jane, you’re old!” (Sad chuckles here)

After our visit, Kevin and I stopped by the historic White’s Mill store which was recommended by Janis as a good stop. What a wonderful old place! It’s a combo garden center and gift shop with heirloom seeds, handmade jewelry, beautiful wind chimes and lovely house goods. Was a fun stop. 🙂  

Tomorrow the two of us will continue our westward travels. 

🙂 Linda

Prepping

This is the time of year when wildflowers really come into their own, imho. The (non-agricultural) fields here in the eastern part of MD are full of daisies, goldenrod, asters of all kinds and many, many others. So lovely!

I have been somewhat busy this week. I am planning, at long last, to leave with my brother this coming Thursday (as in, day after tomorrow) for my periodic midwestern tour trip. I have put it off twice this summer due to worry about leaving my husband at home without me. Probably needless fears but nevertheless. Shrug.

Today Kevin and I worked for about three hours to consolidate, repackage and stuff a Jeep load of assorted craft supplies and other memorabilia to be delivered to my nieces Amy and Stephanie (Kansas and Nebraska, respectively). These are things of their sister's that they did not have space for when they were visiting here in May (after her death). 

We managed to get it all into my car with enough space left over for our suitcases. Success!! I was pretty sure we could fit it all in but he had doubts. :) Now to get it all to the destinations intact.

Tomorrow I am planning to take Kevin to the Apple Store in Columbia Mall to buy a new iPhone and iPad for him (the ones he has now are each about eight years old). Also I have to pack - my clothing, toiletries, cpap machine and any hand work I want to take along (I am thinking some knitting, some embroidery and a small art/travel journal kit).

Our itinerary is loose - first to Albany and Athens Ohio to see our aunt & uncle and so I can visit Quilt National. Then to western Illinois just east of St. Louis to see my niece/nephew and their family and maybe to visit some Illinois sights. Onward to Olathe (an hour or so south of Kansas City). Then to Lincoln and certainly a visit to the International Quilt Museum as well as my sister/niece and her family. Finally to Madison, WI to see my daughter and family. With lots of sightseeing along the way (fingers crossed). I expect the trip to take most of August.

Meanwhile, here at home, I have been sewing on my Jacob's Ladder project. I have completed the piecing of the 'body' of my lap quilt:

I started working on the 'border' yesterday afternoon (late, to escape the heat in our upstairs). Basically I am using the same prints to piece reverse-colored blocks to make a outer border. There may be a further fabric border beyond that - I will decide that once I see how large the quilt becomes. :) Of course, that will wait here at home for me to work on when we return.

I made a quilt for my daughter with William Morris prints - but this one is for me. I truly love those fabric patterns.

:) Linda