Quilting quality queations

They say everything comes to those who wait. A case in point are my pictures from the international quilt show in Chicago last month. Yes, they are finally here ... later in this very post.

We'll get to that in a few moments.

First. to all who are impatient for the return of nice weather, I am as impatient as anyone. This week, temperatures here have mostly been in the 40s. Well, they got to the 50s on Wednesday. But they are supposed to return to the 40s. And now we are in May.

I recently mentioned that my wife's tulips are starting to grow, and Readerwil wanted to know about that--she's from Holland, after all. Well, Wil, last weekend, I saw something out of the ordinary on the tulips, which are trying to brave the chilly spring weather ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SnowyTulips-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

As you see, we have one bloom, and we hope it can hang in there long enough to bloom. It was still there this morning. Still, the forecast is mentioning a chance of snow showers Saturday afternoon. "New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible." And today, folks, is May 3. I don't want to think about it.

Next week, they say, should be nicer, with several days close to 60 and more sun. We are all decidedly solar energy-deficient right now.

On Wednesday, I took my wife to the doctor in Iron Mountain for her annual exam. They we visited my mom, and I drove her to the cemetery where my dad and brother are buried. It's out in the country, with a forest on one side and a farmer's field on another. A pretty place. I looked at the trees and searched in vain for fat buds on their branches. They looked as bleak and barren as they did last November. So, besides the solar energy, we need some fresh green.

The spring sports are doggedly (Woof! Woof!) trying to go ahead. I covered two track meets and a tennis meet this week. In fact, including my wife's appointment and the visit to my mom, I had long trips out of town three consecutive days this week. Each time, I got back home around 7 or 7:30, and by that time the hockey playoff games were under way. I unwind from my day by watching them.

The Red Wings finished off Colorado in four straight, and last night's game (San Jose vs. Dallas) went into overtime. By then, it was 11:30 p.m. and my wife had gone to bed, but Charlie was hanging in there with me on the couch. During the intermission, I decided we need some snacks to bolster us for what could be a long overtime. I got a Propel from the fridge and a few crackers.

Charlie was very interested--her sniffer was working away madly. "No, Charlie," I told her. "Kitties don't drink Propel."

It wasn't the drink she was after. It was the crackers. Ordinary soda crackers. When she got in range, Charlie started licking them. Maybe it's the salt. So I broke off tiny pieces for her, and she ate some of them. Then she lay down next to me and became my hockey buddy again.

Invigorated by our snack, that little cat and I sat together and watched the [I]entire [/I]sudden-death overtime. All 65 seconds of it.

****
Last evening, before the game, I had some time to make pictures from the quilt show.

Really, there is no way to do justice to a show this vast and the wide variety of creations on display. I identified many great quilts but only got halfway down my list before deciding I had OD'd on them. My wife and I walked around that show for hours, looking at them and taking pictures.

As you may notice, I love creative, colorful designs and alternatives to the various geometric designs that we are all familiar with. And I like nature. Here are some I admired ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Daffodils-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Ferns-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-ColorHorse-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

This one was called "Fatal Attraction" ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-FatlAttract-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Nitebefore-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

For some reason, one section of the show was declared out of bounds for photographers--no cameras allowed! That area had two of the more interesting quilts I saw.

One used a quotation by Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic, about peace and being a good person in the world. It was sort of like a sunrise. On the top, it had words of positive emotions; on the bottom, words of negative emotions. An interesting, complex work, and I sure wish I could show it to you.

The other was called "Late Date," and it was a cartoonish thing, mostly in pink, showing a room where a girl is getting ready to go out--and things aren't going right for her at all. She is in her undies, and her elongated arms are ironing a blouse (oh-oh--it got scorched), working on her hair, putting on makeup, selecting clothes, etc. And through the window you can see her date, standing next to his car and looking at his watch. Funny. You would have loved it.

Too bad. But I respect their decision. Even though I didn't agree with it. Anyway, there were more than enough quilts to photograph. Moving on ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-AtDinner-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Pondlife-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

Plenty of others were examining the quilts. These women were examining one from Australia that depicts the different seasons ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Seasons-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-SpectDisplay-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-SpringSpirit-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-WdlndStry-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

There was another special theme area of the snow, and fortunately they allowed pictures there. The theme: looking up at the heavens. It's something I like to do ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-LookUp-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-Galaxy-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-StaryNight-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-YinYangComet-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-SaturnRings-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/CQuilt-PurpleSunrise-4-08.jpg[/IMG]

That's about the point I reached yesterday when I decided enough is enough. But since I'm sensitive to my readers' opinions, I probably could be persuaded to post a few more.