Category: photography

School Days

One of my projects completed in 2020 was this School Days quilt made of wool and entirely hand stitched.

I had a delicious length of wool in a subtle plaid (thank you, Mary, for this glorious gift) that I wanted to use for the background.  I love the schoolhouse block, but it’s traditionally a pieced block.  I didn’t want to cut up this wool and sew it back together, I wanted to appliqué.  So I refashioned the traditional pieced block into an appliqué pattern.

The lines in the plaid meant I wouldn’t have to mark anything if I made the schoolhouses the right size to fit within the repeat of the plaids.  So a little measuring and planning, and I was ready.

I selected 20 different wools from my collection and ironed freezer paper templates on to the squares.  From that point on, I had a perfectly portable project needing only needle, thread, and thimble to work anywhere.  

I even laid the houses out on the background to get a pleasing distribution of color and pinned a swatch of fabric in each house’s position so I would know what went where.

I stitched each house to the wool using a whip stitch and thread (usually perle cotton #12) to match the house.  

When that was done, I layered it with a piece of hand-dyed linen on the back, pinned it in place, and began quilting.  I didn’t use batting – I thought the bulk of the wool-on-wool quilt was enough with a lightweight back.  I used 12 wt Aurifil thread for the quilting and found it a delight to pull though the  buttery wool fabric.

Again, I had nothing to mark, just stitched along threads in the plaid. It was sheer delight to have one spool of thread, a pair of scissors, a needle and thimble, and pick up and sew.  Relax, relax, relax.

Having no batting meant no where to hide the knot, and “popping” wasn’t easy either.  So, in another connection to past methods, I left the tails loose as if the quilt were “tied”.  But my ties are on the back, not the front.

When it came time to add a binding, I didn’t.  Add one, that is.  I cut the backing 1” wider than the top, folded over, folded over, stitched down.  That’s the way our grandmothers did it, and now I know why.  It’s lots easier than cutting, pressing, stitching by machine with mitered corners, then hand stitching down.  I will continue the latter process on most quilts, but bringing the back to the front on this one was a pleasure.

This was one of the quilts I carried on our photo trip to Indian Springs.  Some of these photos were made there, some in our front yard.  The finished size is 36” x 48”.

Reflections

Our most recent outing did not involve photographing quilts, but the photographs I took will generate some quilts, I’m sure.  Buildings, reflections off water, birds, and being in the woods bring inspiration.

This little shack made me wish I had brought along a quilt. Next time….

We drove to Juliette, GA, the home of the Whistle Stop Cafe.  The old structures there were quiet early in the morning, and posed for me to capture them without people in the way.

Fog was thick over the still waters of the lake, making for some nice reflections.  A fisherman unknowingly posed for me – the only way it would have been better is if he had been wearing overalls.

The stop in Juliette was to check out reports of swallows and warblers building nests.  We saw some activity, but conditions were not right for photographing them.  On we went to Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge – one of our favorite places to visit and photograph wildflowers.  

Every time we visit this place, I am captivated by the grasses.  They grow so tall here.  They are always different, but always remind me of combinations of embroidery stitches.

A butterfly loves these lilies, too.

We saw some exciting botanical specimens.  A clump of Atamasco lilies captivated me in the sunlight,

newly emerging ferns and their fiddleheads contrasted in bright green against the backdrop of a recent controlled burn at the refuge,

and the dogwoods throughout the woods were stunning!

When we got home, we discovered our own Atamasco lily in the back yard.  We moved it here with us years ago, but it had not bloomed until this year.  There’s more sun in that space in the past year since two big trees came down, so maybe that explains the surprise.

My companions for the day were photographing birds.  I got a couple of lucky shots of the bird they were stalking, but my purpose was to enjoy the glorious day.  That I did.

This little Louisisana Waterthrush was a happy little guy playing in the water.

New Hebron

After my latest post on quilts posed at New Hebron Baptist Church in Pike County, I thought you might like to see more photos of this beauty from the past. On an earlier visit, Jim captured images of the vicar and the interior of this church while I enjoyed memories of my childhood that this place triggered.

We visited this idyllic spot for the first time as part of the Slow Exposures Photography  Exhibition in 2019.  The organizers included a display of some of the photographs from the volume Historic Churches of Georgia.

A church that should be in the second edition of the book “Historic Rural Churches of Georgia,”  New Hebron Baptist Church near Concord, Georgia is an idyllic and picturesque place and is what you might expect when you first open your eyes in the afterlife. Thanks to Vicar Dwain Penn for the tour of New Hebron and his hospitality.

A church that should be in the second edition of the book Historic Rural Churches of Georgia,  New Hebron Baptist Church near Concord, Georgia is an idyllic and picturesque place and is what you might expect when you first open your eyes in the afterlife. Thanks to Vicar Dwain Penn for the tour of New Hebron and his hospitality.

Jim’s words from his facebook post about New Hebron

In my journal writing of that day I noted that Vicar Penn doesn’t call himself a pastor since he “has no sheep.”  He explained that the church has had no members for several years, and is therefore no longer affiliated with any denomination.  

At the time of our visit, services were conducted once a month, on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.  That allows people to attend their regular church and enjoy this spiritual place, too.

They sometimes host special events here, too.  Sacred Harp Singing Schools have been held in this church.  Oh, how I would love to hear those songs echoing off these unpainted timbers!

The church, built in 1908, was seen in the movies Cold Sassy Tree and Mama Flora’s Family, but most of the time, it’s maintaining its position in a bucolic scene on a quiet country road.

For more information, check out the entry on the Historic Rural Churches site https://www.hrcga.org/church/new-hebron-baptist/ .

And this article includes more of Vicar Penn’s story: http://www.thegospeler.org/ChurchBrochure.htm

Dots and Vines went along on this trip, too.  Here she poses on the back door of the church.  The story of this quilt is here: https://sandygilreath.com/dots-and-vines/

Chortling

Thousands of Sandhill Cranes winter in a county near us.  It’s a thrill when they fly in groups over our house on the way to this temporary home – the sound of their call is unmistakable.  Varying terms are used to describe the sound:  bugling, trumpeting, rattling, croaking, but I like the word chortling.  These birds seem to be so happy that a muffled laugh fits.

We went to see some of these wonders yesterday.  The flock we saw numbered in the hundreds, but they were accompanied by thousands, yes, thousands, of blackbirds.  The vision of the groups in flight was enchanting!

The cranes look gawky in some cases.  When they fly about in small groups over short distances, they are funny with their wings and long legs all akimbo.  In serious flight, up high for long distance traveling, they are elegant.  They tuck their legs neatly behind them for streamlined flight and they fly in a v-formation.

And the blackbirds were so abundant that their flights about the field created a murmuration.  Well, I thought of it as a murmuration.  That term is by definition applied to starlings, not blackbirds.  But the image of the huge numbers of blackbirds twisting and swirling in some sort of shape shifting cloud was mesmerizing to me.

Jim’s Canon camera with 1.6 crop factor and 1.4 extender paired with a 500mm lens gave him the best view of the birds.

The skies were blue, the fields of brown and green stretched on for acres and acres.  It was a glorious day to be out in nature.  

This photo is a good representation of what we could see with the naked eye. Binoculars and cameras with long lenses gave us better views of the birds.

The Sandhill Cranes were more than 200 yards from our vantage point, but Jim’s camera setup could “reach” them. 

I did get some passable shots with my little Sony. In all cases, if you enlarge the image, you can appreciate more detail.

At another stop on this outing, I had fun photographing cows.  More on that later.

I didn’t think to take a quilt along for a photo shoot – our days at home have ruined my sense of preparation for a drive about.  But the day certainly provided inspiration for future quilts.  

By the way, these Sandhill Cranes are huge birds.  Here is a photo of some walking by me a few years ago near Melbourne, Florida.  They are comfortable with humans here and you can get an idea of their size relative to me.

Queen Anne in Quarantine

Today is our 226th day of social distancing.  It’s October 18, the 292nd day of 2020.  (I’m keeping track of those things for part of my journal quilt for 2020.)  We still have Queen Anne’s Lace blooming in our yard!  

As I’ve shared before, I’m sending a photo to “the girls” each morning, letting the next generation of our family know that the old folks are up and at ‘em each morning; all is well.  I have an album on my laptop containing these nature photos.  There are daylilies, geraniums, clematis, roses, lots of wildflowers; there are rabbits and deer and mushrooms, too. 

One plant stands out as being ever-present.  Queen Anne’s Lace.  I truly love this plant…we’ve had patches of it in the yard every year since we moved here nine years ago… but this year there are more patches and they have been blooming constantly since mid-May.  

I love photographing these specimens from all angles, and I especially love the cage that forms as the flowers go to seed.  I’ve collected these seeds and scattered some already, hoping that in the future, wild carrots will be EVERYWHERE!

And, in the winter, I’ll still have some…these made with needle and thread.

Lockdown Learning

Friends I encounter many days on my morning walks.

During the five months that we’ve been staying at home, I’ve had time to explore new things.  

A zebra longwing in our front yard.

I’ve used my camera a lot, learning more about it, and even adding to the equipment inventory.  When we first learned that we were elderly and in the high risk group for Covid-19, I started sendng a morning photo greeting to our girls via text message.  Just a pretty way to say to them, “the old folks are fine,” so they could get on with their day without worrying about us.  I used my phone at first, learning new photo and editing capabilities.  

Then there were things the phone didn’t capture as well as I wanted, so I pulled out the digital mirrorless camera and learned more about it.  

We have several rabbits in our yard this year. So far, we’ve only SEEN them eating grass, but a few other plants have been mysteriously pruned.

When I needed a faster lens, or more “reach” for some of my subjects, I needed a better zoom lens.  

A woodland sunflower captured on a visit to Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.

Looking through the lens of a camera changes things.  I’m not much of a gardener, but I needed to know the names of the plants I was photographing – because at least one of three recipients of these messages would ask.  And, distractions in the background weren’t good, so I pulled more weeds than I ever have before.  Who knew that such a simple act was so transformative?

A drawstring bag incorporating a bit of vintage embroidery and hand-dyed indigo linen.

Simple things are transformative in the sewing room, too.  I’ve used this time at home to explore more stitching opportunities, too.  I’ve finished several traditonal UFOs (and now I realize I need to photograph those), explored ways to include vintage linens in different projects, and reread many of the quilting books on my shelves.

Exploring more uses of ink on fabric inspired by Pam Holland’s draplique tutorial.

Though I could have done all this at any time, there’s something about not having plans to go anywhere, not having deadlines to meet, that is liberating.  I do miss seeing my quilting friends at guild and I miss teaching classes, but without those obligations, I’m enjoying researching new aspects of my own creativity.

A fabric flower adorns a notebook cover made from vintage linen fabric. I secured all layers using a double seed stitch to add texture. This new-to-me stitch is a fun one I will use again!

Heaven in a Wildflower

It was a glorious fall day and the gingko leaves were turning.  We grabbed cameras, a couple of quilts, and went in search of photo ops.

As we drove around town looking for public access to beautiful trees, Jim was looking at the sky, wanting the contrast of blue skies and golden leaves.

I was looking for a carpet of fallen leaves to blanket my latest quilt creation, Heaven in a Wildflower.

We found both shots through our camera lenses.

My quilt guild’s challenge for 2019 was to be “charming”.  A charm quilt is one in which each piece of fabric is different from all the others.  Traditionally, the pieces are all the same size and shape, such as a tumbler quilt.  But our challenge always encourages us to think in a new way, so I came up with this design.

I selected a piece of an overdyed fabric with fruits and vegetables on it.  I believe it started as an old tablecloth.  The artist who painted it is Wendy Richardson.  I have amassed a collection of beautiful fabrics from Wendy and selected this as the focal point.  I added bits from my Cherrywood hand-dyed fabrics and some woven stripes from a Kaffe Fassett collection, then pieced the selections improvisationally in a modified log cabin layout.  

Those big blocks of solid fabrics needed details that luscious quilting could provide.  I wanted to incorporate a word or phrase in the quilting.  

When I asked Jim for advice about a word or phrase that the painted segment conjured up, I got more than I bargained for.  He came up with a lot of words:  from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wildflower,
To hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

So intense quilting ensued!  

The challenge specified a perimeter of between 120” and 200”.  My quilt measures 34” x 41”. 

The colors seemed destined as a background for posing gingko leaves.  Mission accomplished!

A Wonky Star goes to College

It has been too hot in recent days to be dragging quilts and cameras around and staging photographs.  But last week, Jim and I had cabin fever and decided a “ride-about” was in order.  It seemed a good idea to throw in a small quilt, just in case.

We ended up on the campus of my college alma mater and decided to snap a couple of photos.  This Wonky Blue Star quilt posed on the banister of an antebellum home that’s now part of the administrative buildings for Georgia College.  When I was enrolled there; oh, my, 50 years ago, this house was used as a dormitory.

I lived in this house for a couple of years. At one time my bedroom was the corner room you see here behind the rocking chairs.  

The view from that window, across the street, was the old governor’s mansion, seen here with the blue quilt posed on that fence.  This building was used as the president’s residence some years, and the site of several festive events for students.  My mother was especially entranced by those beautifully decorated rooms.

As I peeped through the fence to the immaculate lawn, I remembered how pleased she was to attend an outdoor reception there one spring day in my freshman year. Mama would love this campus even more now.

It was hot, as expected, so our time out of the car was brief.  But the sidewalks were busy with students on the way to class – or somewhere.  Enrollment has doubled since I was a student there and there are some changes to the campus.  But all of them are good.  Historic buildings are preserved and the classic beauty of the place is intact.  The energy of people going about the business of learning is always exciting.

The Wonky Star quilt is one I’ve made several times in several sizes.  I’ve taught it as a quick technique to create a block or a whole quilt, as in this case.  You need thirteen squares of fabric the same size and some simple cutting and sewing directions to make a quick quilt.

Here, I chose a big print that I was reluctant to cut into tiny pieces and a contrasting background fabric.  A simple wavy line of machine quilting meant that this was a really quick project.  This one measures 33” square finished and works perfectly as a table topper.

In the next post, I’ll share other Wonky Star quilts and the instructions.

Folk Life Festival

Sheep, goats, old buildings, a quilt show, and MEN IN OVERALLS. What else could a country girl want on a Saturday?

The place was swarming with men in overalls, and suspenders, and straw hats. 

These sheep were waiting to help with the demonstration of shearing. (by men wearing overalls and suspenders, of course.)

Oh, and there was a train, too! This country girl was thrilled.  There was a tractor parade, as well, but that wasn’t as exciting somehow. One man sitting near me said, “I’ve seen all the tractors I want – when I was a boy, I saw the fields from the seat of one every day.”

There was even a quilt show on the grounds! The members of the Wiregrass Quilt Guild hosted their annual show and one of their members had a one-man show in another gallery.

The camera recorded images for upcoming art quilts.  Old buildings, animals, people.  Don’t you just know this guy wants to be on one of my Men in Overalls series?

And, one of the men in overalls came home with me. See, we had a goal in mind when we left home. We anticipated the dress for the day!

Yes, I have a pair somewhere, but the idea is MEN in overalls.

This was at the Folk Life Festival in Tifton.  The grounds are now part of ABAC and make up what is now called the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village, but we who have known of it since its beginnings still refer to the place as the Agrirama, its original name.  More information about the place is here.

I’ve been in love with men in overalls my entire life.  in recent years, I’ve had fun with images of such men on art quilts.  As I wrote this, I did a search of my blog and realized there are several I’ve never posted.  Here is one of them:

This photo of an unknown child was printed on vintage linen, quilted, and mounted on a burlap canvas.

Details of some I have posted before are below:

The story of this piece is here.

And this one is detailed here.

I’m itching to play with the images of some of these guys I saw yesterday. Stay tuned for the results!

Unexpected Pleasures

When you are retired and don’t have a rigid schedule, the most innocent errand can become an adventure.  One day this week we headed out to sign some papers (it’s tax season, you know, ugh).  A couple of quilts and cameras were tossed in the car, and off we went. 

A stop at a park yielded a few shots of quilts. In the photo here, Granny Zee’s Baskets posed in front of an old church steeple.


My latest teaching sample, Portable Magic, posed on an outdoor window.


We have this thing about photographing cabooses, so Remember Me posed on this one.

The Drugstore Deli was our choice for a delicious lunch.  This veggie quiche and salad were beautiful – and they tasted as wonderful as they look.  The blue cheese dressing was homemade with chunks of cheese.  Oh, my!  You’ve gotta try that!

The lunch was even better when we realized old friends were sitting nearby and we had a chance to visit and catch up.

Within sight of the restaurant was a quaint old building I’d never noticed before.  It’s been there, we’ve been there, but just never noticed it.  

It is an old jailhouse now housing the historical society.  The bars were perfect for posing quilts, as was an old theater bench outside. 

I think Kaffe Fassett would love these brick walls!

I’ve written about the Drugstore Deli before, in this post.

The story of Granny Zee’s Baskets is here.

And details about Remember Me are here.

The book quilt, Portable Magic,  is a sample I made for a class I recently taught.  Details of that quilt will be in an upcoming post.