PIQF Day 1

Anna Hergert

Drove to San Jose yesterday to spend the night with my brother-in-law Art and his wife Deanna.  Traffic has certainly not gotten better...but remembering old times with Art, who went to the same high school as I, has gotten better.

More of Anna's work

Anna's wonderful kanta

Took over an hour to negotiate traffic this morning to get to the Santa Clara Convention Center.  I made it to my kanta cloth class with one minute to spare.  My teacher, Anna Hergert, is from Moose Jaw, Canada.  To quote her, kanta is "embellishing fabric with humble running stitches to achieve sensational textures."  This is what we did in the class, which lasted all day.  I made a fast run through the exhibits, but left the real viewing (and shopping) for tomorrow.

My practice piece

New 49er stadium

Did see the new stadium for the San Francisco 49'ers.  Didn't realize it was across the street from the conference center.

Tahoe Day 4

Karen(sic) and Shirley J, breakfast on the deck

About the extent of wildlife

After a visit to Tahoe Vision Center to have my eye checked (inflammation reduced, continue the steroid eye drops), Shirley and I went to Quilt Tahoe and Fabrics Unlimited, the two quilts shops in South Lake Tahoe.  After this we drove to Zephyr Point where the lady from Fabric Chicks (our fav shop from Nevada) had a shop at a quilting retreat at the Presbyterian Center on the lake shore.  Bought some few things and drove back to Meyers, where we quilted all day.  Doesn't sound exciting, unless you are a quilter.

Content Lucy

Shirley M and I consulting

Cathy seaming like crazy

Yours truly hard at work

The wonderful deck

Jan's completed top

Contemplative Claire

On the way home, the high Sierra...day 5, the end of this adventure

Tahoe Day 3

Jan and Lucy's quiche

Another day at the retreat.  After a great breakfast, off to work we went.

Patt's retreat "do"

Kingsbury grade on the way to Gardnerville

Inside Fabric Chicks

Today after piecing all morning some of us decided to drive over to Nevada and do a little shop hop of our own.  It was surprisingly close to Gardnerville and "The Quilt House."  What a nice shop, with nice ladies in the shop.  We spent almost an hour there, and then headed north to Minden and "Fabric Chicks Creative Oasis."  This shop is in an industrial area, and from the outside looks really small.  Oh what a mistake to judge by appearances!  The shop is huge, with a myriad of quilts hanging in a warehouse sized area.  And what fabrics were available!  I have a new shop to add to my list of favorite shops.

Pat, Shirley and Lucy, a favorite shop

Tahoe Day 2

Turns out the location of the house we are quilting in is really located in Meyers...still beautiful, but no bears so far this year.

Dark glasses with eyebrows

Woke up this morning with a weepy eye and extreme sensitivity to light, so bad I asked Shirley M to take me to Urgent Care.  After filling out forms I found out I have iritis in my left eye. Urgent Care doc sent me a Optometrist (more medical forms!) who did confirm the diagnosis and gave me steroid drops for my eye.  What a difference.  No more sensitivity to light, and my eye stopped weeping so much.  All this took about two hours, after which we went to quilt shops in South Lake Tahoe and over in Nevada.

Cathy's pumpkin

After getting back to the house I pieced all afternoon, ate great chili for supper with some good wine , and had a great time talking.

Shirley curing her cold

A nice wine

Quilt Retreat--at Tahoe

My favorite large quilt, Chico

What a busy time since getting back from Croatia and Poland...only a week ago, if you can believe that.  Catching up on laundry, going to a Valley Quilt Guild meeting, then up to Chico to Annie's Star Quilt Guild show, and then up to Tahoe today.

A Kitty Pippen wall hanging--silk!

Great group of ladies to sew with (and eat with, as we take turns cooking).  I have already completed one quilt top.

Coming into South Lake Tahoe

Closer to Tahoe

A completed quilt top

Day 10--Home again, home again, well almost

Really, it's supposed to be September 22, but I'm late.  I did however, write this post on September 22, but was waiting for Surani to send me Patrick's "search" picture.

Assume the position!

Another journey home, almost as bad as the trip back from Australia!  Didn't sleep well, as I knew we had to be in the hotel lobby at 0410.  Got a wake up call at 0350, and we all made it downstairs at the appointed time.  Not sure how Surani and Patrick have done it, as they got back from their trip to Auschwitz at midnight.
We had a box lunch (box breakfast?) consisting of a sandwich, apple, orange juice, and banana with some welcome hot coffee.  Ate what we could, Dagmar showed up with the bus, and off we went for the short ride to the airport.

 First security of whole trip where we had to take off our shoes, plus take the computer out of its approved case!  In addition, Patrick must have looked like a terrorist of some kind as he got a total pat down, wanded too, and had his carry on searched.

Back to Frankfurt and the normal run through the airport.  I must be getting used to it, as it didn't seem as bad as the first time.
After a torturous 11 hour flight, we arrived at San Francisco, 18 hours after we started at the Polonia Palace in Warsaw.

Patrick's favorite Chinese restaurant in Warsaw

Really enjoyed seeing this, new to me, part of the world.  I also enjoyed traveling with Surani and Patrick, and Patrick is a really a great guy to hang around with.  Next trip for me is a quilting retreat to Tahoe next week...until then, all things in moderation, including moderation.