Tag: photography

Dirt Roads

On our most recent ride about, we found ourselves in Pitts, Ga with cameras in hand to photograph sunflowers and old buildings.  We did that…and bought goodies from Oliver Farm, too.  Sunflower oil, okra flour, brown rice grits were among our purchases.

The sunflowers didn’t disappoint…and the old buildings served as great backdrops for the quilts that went for the ride. 

But it was the dirt that thrilled me. I got right out in the field with the sunflowers.  The blooms were as high as my head and about the size of my head, too.  But the dirt …oh, the dirt!  We were in a county neighboring the one where I grew up.  And the dirt in the coastal plain region is very different from that of the piedmont where we now live. This is the dirt that I used to make mud pies and gopher houses and embed in my skinned knees.

I didn’t have to take off my shoes to know exactly how that dirt would feel between my toes.  Those little rocks of limonite mixed with the sand speak home to me.  Hopscotch, skidding bicycle tires, carving a trail with a stick…all those memories are tied to this dirt.

We succeeded in photographing sunflowers and old buildings, but found other treasures, too. 

In a cypress habitat, we found some other interesting vegetation to shoot, but it was the road that entranced me. That dirt again…oh, and the beehives!

Jim has always said he can feel his blood pressure drop when we visit Turner County.  Well, there’s that; life is slower.  But these dirt roads just feel like Sunday afternoon drives and going to visit relatives.

My Daddy farmed before I came along…so he walked behind a mule in dirt like this.  Barefooted.  Yes.  He plowed without shoes.  I can understand why.  I wanted to take my shoes off and walk out in a field.  I didn’t. But maybe next time….

Oliver Farm has self guided tours where you can read about the old buildings in Pitts, Ga, and find your way to fields of sunflowers in all stages, a cypress habitat, and lots of fresh air.

Indian Springs

On a sunny day in February, we loaded up cameras and quilts and headed out on a ride-about.  

We drove to Indian Springs State Park, where Jim and I can both travel down memory lane way back to our childhoods.  Our personal histories are not quite as old as the park – established in 1927, it is the oldest state park in Georgia.

Jim and his Dad enjoyed the swings at Indian Springs around 1950.

My sister went to college near this park and my parents and I would visit and take her there for a picnic.  Jim and his family went there for visits, too. It’s possible that our mothers carried quilts to Indian Springs, too.  Their purpose would not be to photograph the quilts, but to sit on them on the ground.

On this day, we hung quilts in trees, draped them on benches and railings, hung them on gates.  I think the stone walls, lovely trees, and big rocks are a nice backdrop for textiles of all sizes.

The largest quilt we carried was Seventy and Still Wearing Jeans, a quilt I made for Jim’s birthday a couple of years ago.  We posed it on fences, stone walls, and on a really big old stump. Details about this quilt are here.

Smaller quilts, like Dots and Vines, were at home on smaller perches.

The quilts with those vibrant hand-dyed solid fabrics are most photogenic, I think.

The story of the wool schoolhouses and the small log cabin quilts will be detailed in upcoming blog posts.

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!

Princess Priscilla

I looked up from the sewing machine and saw another heart on the wall. I hadn’t exactly forgotten this one, but she is old.

I made her in 2005 in answer to a challenge at my local guild. Tess, our Challenge Queen, had directed us to make a quilt including hearts. A great idea since we are the Heart of Georgia Quilt Guild.

I was new to the world of quilting and to the challenge notion. This was my second opportunity to enter that competition and appliqué was the newest tool in my toolbox.

The pattern came from a book by Robyn Pandolph and many of the fabrics I used came from her designs, as well. Those were the days when I used fabric from one collection. And followed a pattern. As already stated, I was new at this quilting thing.

New at giving titles, too. I named this one Princess Priscilla loves Paisley.

Well, I sorta followed the pattern. I remember the challenge specified hearts, plural, so I added the hearts in the border. They are low contrast (I love that touch of subtle in a quilt) and asymmetrically placed. (Oh, how I love that!)

And the doll nestled among all those quilts is just one I had to bring home with me a few years ago. She’s happy bouncing around the house posing on quilts.

Speaking of posing, Priscilla went to Tifton recently and posed in front of Plough Gallery there. Don’t you just LOVE these blue doors? And, the hexagons in the paving on the walkway?

And the art in the gallery is nice, too! More stories from this place to come.

The Farmhouse visits The Farm House

This was one of the first few blocks I made for the 52 Tuesdays quilt. It seemed like a good idea to get a photo of the quilt with the subject that inspired this image in the background.

It was a dreary day, even drizzling cold rain, as I propped the quilt on a swing in front of the building. The hayrake and bicycle wouldn’t be included in this photo shoot, but a warm fire beckoned us inside for a few more photos.

Becky, the owner of the Farm House, was gracious as always to allow us to pose the quilt and shoot a few images.

Having a quilt in tow is a bit like carrying a baby with you, or a cute puppy. Conversations are easy! Everyone, at least in the south, has a quilt story to share. It often starts off with “my grandmother…”. I love hearing those stories.

52 Tuesdays in front of The Farm House, the subject of Tuesday #4

Judy, who works at The Farm House, said seeing 52 Tuesdays triggered fond memories of her grandmother’s quilts. That’s another reason for dragging my quilts around all over the place.

Other photo shoots at The Farm House are described in these posts:

Seven Black Birds (in the photo above).

The Farmhouse (with several quilts shown and featuring Jim’s post-processing skills).

Christmas Quilts on the Farm (interior and exterior quilt poses of Christmas quilts).

Fairhope Feedsacks

It was a gray day when we recently visited Fairhope, Alabama, but I had a bit of color in my purse.  Early in my quilting adventures (2003, I think), we visited Fairhope and I saw a log cabin quilt made from reproduction feedsack fabrics.  I came home and started sewing.

When we headed to Fairhope last week, I rolled the little quilt and tucked it into my purse just in case there were any photo ops.

The skies were heavy, so I stopped at the first picket fence with a color-coordinated house behind it, and snapped this view.

In a couple of shops, I saw welcoming vignettes and store owners graciously let me drape the fabric about their merchandise.  It’s amazing what a crazy old woman can get away with if she bothers to ask.

In a tee-shirt shop, I was amazed that they had laid out a display of shirts in just these feedsack colors!

And then, Sailor sauntered by and plopped down for a nap.  He was kind enough to model the quilt, creating a unique spot for Fairhope Feedsacks to rest.

At the pier, pilings and tree roots served as quilt racks.

And, at a candy store, more fences, porch railings, an old dresser, and even a baby carriage, a blue baby carriage, gave the little bit of a quilt a place to perch.

Now I’m looking for places to take some other small quilts.  I love making the little ones.  And since I”m doing it for fun, who cares what size it is?  I know a lot of people think a quilt has to cover a bed.  I’m so glad they are wrong!  

Fairhope Feedsacks measures 19” x 24” .  The logs finish at  3/4” wide.  I probably used Dream cotton request batting and cotton thread.  

Lessons learned from this quilt:  

Washing a quilt gives it a softened aged look instantly.  

I personally don’t like the same fabrics used in the same position in a log cabin (that’s what I did here, giving the double dose of turquoise every time the blocks meet).  I like the colors to be more random, scrappier.

The result, this little piece, was one of my first attempts at free motion quilting.  I used a variegated thread and a simple meandering stitched path.  It’s not complicated, It’s not a competitive piece, but the little quilt is pleasing to hang about the house…or on fence posts, or at the beach, or on a cooperative doggie.

Here is a photo of Fairhope Feedsacks at home, atop the clock in the breakfast room where it hung out all summer with a compatibly colored rooster.  

Miss Nellie’s Country Garden

On a recent Saturday ride-about, we took a big wool quilt in case we saw a spot for photos.  We found a spot at Starr’s Mill, and gave Miss Nellie’s Country Garden some places to pose.

The quilt is my version of a pattern from Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings.  The wool appliqué is stitched by hand onto cotton background fabrics.  The piecing together of the blocks and the quilting are done by machine.  

As I worked on all aspects of this quilt, I thought of my Aunt Nellie.  The wool appliqué – informal and free – and the garden theme led me to know the quilt had to be named for her.

She was known as Miss Nellie to most everyone in the community.  I was lucky enough to know her as Aunt Nellie.  She was a teacher, and so there are some people who knew her as Miss Hobby, too.  She lived next door for my entire childhood, and serves to inspire me every day of my life. 

She lived to the age of 91, and only in her 91st year was she unable to tend her garden.  She grew vegetables to eat, to share, to can, and to freeze.  She grew flowers for the joy of the bloom.

Aunt Nellie’s vegetable garden was neat and orderly, but her flowers were a riot of stems and leaves and blooms.  Weeds were kept at bay in both places, but the separation she maintained in her butterbeans and squash was not valued in her flowerbeds.  The snapdragons and pansies, the petunias and lilies and gladiolas all mingled about, with her snipping a cutting here and poking it in an empty spot there to take root and fill a space.  And, take root they did.  Her green thumb was legendary, possibly due in part by the load of fresh cow manure a local farmer delivered to her every spring.

She grew geraniums in pots, dahlias in a  separate bed all their own.  She had a bit of yard art, too.  I remember a whimsical bird bath, tiers of porcelain basins given to her by a friend.  Once it developed leaks, it was repurposed as a planter for succulents.


So the whimsical nature of some of these quilt blocks is a perfect tribute to a woman from the country.  The label is a block I had made because Miss Jump, one of Linda Brannock’s creations, reminds me of Aunt Nellie.

More quilt details:  The quilt finished at 60” x 75”.  I used a whipstitch to secure the wool to the cotton, usually with perle cotton thread, but sometimes with embroidery floss or even fine sewing thread.  The quilting is all hand-guided freemotion stitching on my home machine.  I used Dream Cotton Request batting and a cotton fabric for the background.  And it was all fun!  Just as Aunt Nellie would have wanted it to be.

Oh, and another detail.  Because the wool is so visually heavy, I made a wider binding than I usually do.  The “standard” 1/4” binding seems so wimpy on a large wool quilt, so I cut the binding 3 1/2”, then folded in half and stitched it to the front of the quilt with a hearty 3/8” seam allowance (or scant 1/2”).  The binding then finishes (with these fabrics) at 1/2”. I used a woven plaid (easy to stitch down by hand) and cut it on the bias.

More about Aunt Nellie:  I’ve written a lot about Aunt Nellie already, if you type “Nellie” in the search box, you’ll find several references to her.  But, she is the older of the two “Spinster Sisters” in this post, where I shared more details of her: https://sandygilreath.com/spinster-sisters/

SlowExposures

When we leave home for one of our Saturday “ride abouts”, we don’t always know where we’ll end up.  Our most recent experience was at a county-wide photography exhibit.  We stopped at one of our favorite bookstores, A Novel Experience, in Zebulon, only to discover it was on this day headquarters for glory.  

Well, glory our way.  SlowExposures, A Juried Exhibition Celebrating Photography of the Rural South, was in full swing in Pike County.  Walking and driving to at least seven sites, we met interesting people, saw interesting photography and other art forms, and came away inspired.

Every person we met was friendly and informative and urged us to visit other artists as well.  So we moved through the day on those recommendations, going from one “pop-up” venue to the next, only to be greeted by more fabulous photography, more unique ideas in presentation, more friendly people.

The photos were images made all over the South.  The photographers were from as far away as Maine, and the exhibit was the 16th of its kind.  How did we not know of this?  Well, we know now!

There was a competitive collection of single images, and there were “pop-ups” all over the county.  A pop-up exhibit was a collection of work from a single photographer or from groups with some common theme.  Subject matter, or technique, or presentation could unite them for this exhibit.

If you think a picture is worth a thousand words, you can’t image the volumes spoken by some of these displays.

A collection documenting the memorabilia left behind by a soldier who ended his own life in 1959 was sobering  The images mounted on black wood, in black frames, finished without a glass barrier, are stark and convey the mood of the project beautifully. (You can see photos of this here. Neither Jim nor I took snapshots of this work, it seemed disrespectful somehow – the display was the powerful.)

A former architect displayed part of an ongoing project to photograph all the azaleas in his home town.  He lives in Nachez, MS, so that’s a lot of azalea blooms.

The settings for the exhibit were likewise intriguing.  The main gallery was housed in an old store building in a small town six miles away from the county seat.  Pop-ups were in commercial and government buildings as well as unique buildings in the community repurposed for this weekend’s treasures.

One artist had the fortune to have his work displayed in a stable.  To take advantage of this  venue, he created amazing large-scale displays to share his Forest re-Framed.  There were dimensional elements, large scale prints with plates of glass in front to vary the distance from the viewer.  There were huge prints on canvas with natural light illuminating the photos.

There were a couple of artists housed in a sharecropper’s cabin.  The exposed structure of the building, painted white, was a perfect backdrop for their works.

Maybe I’m saving the best for the last.  Or maybe just after such a day the anticipation builds so the last thing is the best.  But our final visit was to the Hive, a small building (renamed for these two days) containing four artists who incorporate beeswax into their photo displays.  Each of the four uses different subject matter and processes to make their encaustic work unique, but all were fascinating to this Beekeeper’s Daughter.

I felt a special kinship with Kevin.  Kevin finds vintage photos at flea markets, collages the photos with other objects, and makes up a story about the person in the photo.  Yes, like I did with Margene and Ruth, to name a couple – just makes stuff up!  When I shared that I love to tell stories though my work, too, Kevin and I bonded.  He gave me permission to share a photo of him, of some of his work, and later, he demonstrated his technique with wax.  An earlier photo shows a closeup of one of his collages, but the shot below includes one of the fabulous vintage frames that completes his work.

Inspired, intrigued, amazed, fascinated; all good words to sum up the day.  Another example of retired life with open-ended adventures!  Except for the old geezer who pretended his name was Jim in order to claim our food in a crowded restaurant, the day was fabulous!  Even that situation was quickly remedied by a poised waitress and it gave us another funny store to share for years to come.

Note:  here are links to more of the artists whose work I described:

Sandy Burr

Jo Lynn Still

Houck Medford

Nancy Marshall

Rory Doyle

Remember Me

In our household, we often quote favorite movie lines to convey a big message in a few words.  A bit like a secret language, the power of a select phrase can convey a sense of place, a mood,  or a personality,  and add to the bond of family.

One phrase that’s part of our oft-repeated mantras is “remember me?” spoken in the tone Julia Roberts used in Pretty Woman.  You know the scene when she returns to the uppity sales clerk who had refused to help her.   Laden with packages from another Rodeo Drive shop, she twirls about and smugly displays her loot.  There’s a follow-up line about working on commission and “Big Mistake.”  We quote that sometimes, too.

Several years ago, when I was a member of a mini-group of quilters who called ourselves The Basket Cases, we exchanged blocks to make quilts.  The rules were: make a 9” basket for each other member of the group, in the color specified by each gal; then make your own quilt with the result.  I chose blue (big surprise), as did Mary.  Susan asked for red and pink.  Dale requested pastels, and Angie’s color was terra cotta.


The single basket block you see here is from one set of blocks I made to exchange.  The others I made for them were similar, but with pieced bows at the top, not appliquéd bows like these.  I made some of that type in blue for myself, too.

We made the exchange baskets twice and each assembled her own quilt using whatever setting was desired. I had eight baskets from friends (you can find four pairs of similar baskets in my quilt, each pair from one quilting sister) and four I had made.

I struggled with the various shades of blue and the different levels of contrast until I remembered how I love brown with blue.  This dark brown polka dot seemed to be the perfect fabric to enclose the group of baskets and serve as a border.  

I tried the polka dot as alternate blocks, but the big blocks of color were distracting.  So back to the sewing machine.  I made six 7” basket blocks, framed them with 1” borders of the brown which acted as sashing, and was done.

So it was time for a title.  The brown polka dots reminded me of a dress Julia Roberts wore at the polo match in Pretty Woman.  So, Remember Me was the perfect phrase to convey the movie connection and the spirit of the exchange blocks with the Basket Cases.

The photos of the quilt were made on an outing to Auchumpkee Creek.  Jim made some photos, I made others.


In this photo, you see the back of the quilt with a tree’s shadow on it.  As I often do, I pieced the backing with several blue fabrics.

I did not do the quilting on this one.  My friend and longarm expert, Kathy Darley, did a great job putting the layers together.

Quilts at Step Back

This is a preview post of several quilt stories to come.  As you know, I love to photograph my quilts in unusual settings and sometimes leave home with one or two, then blog about the quilt in detail.

Today we had the opportunity to revisit Step Back, a privately owned rural community with twenty 1900-era buildings.  An earlier post with details about this place is here.

When our camera club was invited to come stroll about the grounds with cameras, I asked if I might bring some quilts.  When the answer was “yes,” I gathered a few pieces whose stories are waiting to be part of a blog post.  So today you see some glamour shots – later more complete stories.

The silvery gray buildings were a wonderful backdrop for quilts to shine.  Sometimes the contrast was minimal, other times it was strong, but always, the old buildings brought new character to fabric and stitches. As always, you can click on any image to enlarge and see details.

Miss Nellie’s Country Garden posed near the waterwheel.  This 12 foot wheel is perfectly balanced and turns with just the tiniest trickle of water as its power source.

Miss Emily’s Baskets rested in some cotton baskets inside the mill house.

This is the cabin where local ladies pretend to be floozies at the Christmas open house every December.  I thought my wool quilt, A Flock of Feathered Floozies, needed to pose here.

Here, Where the Soul says Ahhh is hanging inside the entry of the schoolhouse.  

And here you see why I chose this quilt for the schoolhouse.

A little goat quilt rides on a tricycle.  This quilt has been the subject of an earlier blog post here , but it seemed that a goat quilt needed to visit Step Back.  

Guineas visited Step Back, too.  Guineas on Parade posed at the base of the windmill and on the floozies’ porch. 

And, a man in overalls was visiting today. Of course he was.  A trip back in time to a rural setting would not be complete without that image!

For more details about the Step Back village, visit http://seniornewsga.com/NewspapersSN/Atlanta/2015/AtlantaSeniorNewspdfdec15.pdf or like the Step Back page on Facebook.