Tulip Festival

After a week of beautiful weather it rained on my day off, my first chance to get to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn.  But as any true Oregonian knows, you don’t stop doing what you’ve planned because of a little rain. So off we went, Emily and Margaret and I. As we walked around the tulip fields the mist became drizzle and the drizzle blew into just a plain rainstorm.  The wind was cold!  Nevertheless, the flowers were beautiful and there was a certain crazy pleasure in braving the storm for beauty’s sake.

I learned that there are a lot more types of tulips than I’d realized, pointy petals (Lily-Flowered) or round, fringed, ruffled (Parrot tulips), double tulips, single early tulips, double early blooming, variegated, and so on and on.  To say nothing of the daffodils:  I counted 37 varieties of daffodils alone in the catalogue.  I plan to place an order for bulbs and next year perhaps you will see photos from my yard!

The wooden shoe train

Margaret is more interested in the weeds!

Look at the size of those heads!

As we left the tulip fields the sky started to clear.

A pretty church in Woodburn, Elliott Prairie Community Church

We went to the Woodburn Company Outlet Stores on the way home, and guess what we saw!  More tulips!

These were bedded in filbert shells.

The next day I was at my doctor’s office, and what should I see but MORE TULIPS!

Aren’t they wonderful?

 

Quilt Show

Yesterday I went to the Clark County (Washington) Quilt Show on my day off.  As I expected, it was inspirational and clarifying.  I realized that, as much as I enjoy quilts and the artistry and stories behind them, I do not want to be a quilter.  What a relief to admit this!  I had this “aha” moment driving home on the freeway, that there is too much precision and repetition required for me to enjoy doing this and I would go nuts in short order.  I love the idea of it.  I love the fabric.  I love the embellishments some people bring to it, and I am amazed that some quilters can bring such freedom  and flair to a normally static and regulated project.

These are not your grandmother’s quilts!

 

I love those, too, but that is a different story.  I will show you my grandmother’s quilts on another day.

The theme was “Red and White—Quilter’s Delight” and a lot of entrants had accepted the challenge to use only red and white fabrics.

 

Some of them wrote that the first thing they did was head out to the fabric store and find as many ‘reds’ as they could.  Others said they determined to use only what was already in their stash.  And some quilters had responded to  themes from other challenges, such as illustrating a favorite book.

Some had patterns they had been building up courage to try, and some wanted to whittle down their fabric supply (there has to be an easier way!) Some quilts celebrated an anniversary

or a special trip,

and some exhibitors were just celebrating being done with a square-by-square project that had taken years and years.  Some people devised their own challenges, such as a woman using only  plaids from her existing fabric supply.

Some wanted to bring levity to the limiting red and white challenge.

Each quilt was its own victory of artistry

and patient endurance (my disposition is showing here, that I am thinking of it as a trial….) But patient endurance attaineth to all things and this quilt show is the proof.

 

As a footnote, I will add that I carried a handmade quilted purse on my outing which was made for me by my dear friend. I just love it!

Several quilters stopped to admire it and I was happy to show it off.  The top closing has metal measuring tape inserted which makes it snap shut.  Its a new trick.

Next weekend is the BIG quilt show in Portland with many more quilts.  I don’t know if I have the strength to go!