Friday, December 24, 2010

cave city quilts


adrian and i are visiting family in cave city, arkansas for the holidays. yesterday my dad took me out to see walyce, an 83-year-old quilter and gardener. she is pretty amazing. for starters, she makes quilts, throws them in the back of a large moving truck, and drives them 6 hours north to st louis or 6+ hours south into texas, where folks can't get enough of her quilts.

above is a flower pattern, pieced quilt she made years ago.


i can't remember the name she gave this design, but lots of old scraps of fabric are in it.

i've been looking for a bright quilt to have on hand when guests come and stay in the study, and my dad gifted me this one for christmas. it's a bow tie design.


it's a bit loud, but the colors in the study are pretty muted, and i thought this would be a fun, lively quilt for guests to use.

walyce has the most energy and drive of pretty much anyone i've ever met; it's hard to believe she is 83. she and her husband also have a couple of greenhouses, and are in the midst of building a third (with their own hands! no hired labor for them). here is a photo of the gorgeous blooms in one of their greenhouses (too bad about the lighting).


i wish i had gotten up my nerve to ask to take a photograph of walyce. there is light in her eyes and you can tell she loves life.

thank you for the shot of beauty in my day, walyce!

Monday, December 13, 2010

sophie pegrum painting


Our dining area is now graced with a beautiful painting by our dear, lovely friend sophie pegrum. this is a painting from her helios series, which she says "represents the power of sun and light on life."


you can perhaps see the layering effect in this photo - newspaper, etching, and paint. she put a really glossy finish on it, so if you look carefully you can see some upper cabinets reflected in it.


this wall used to be the 2nd worst in the house - now with repaired drywall, fresh painting, and my cherished sophie painting - it's my favorite! (still trying to teach myself to sit on the other side of the table, so I can enjoy the painting.)