Priscilla Kibbee

Butterfly Jacket Class Finished Jacket

2012-01-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

Jay Zitter just sent photos of this terrific Butterfly Jacket which she made during my class at Quilter's Corner's in Ithaca.

She loved the Seminole technique and made several strips including the band at the bottom.

The lining is a pretty printed batik from Indonesia.

The Children of Guatemala are Starving

2012-01-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

The Children of Guatemala are Starving - From the Tico-Times.net

Paulina Noj sits with three of her eight children.

.CUYUTA, GUATEMALA – Children in Guatemala are starving. But like their parents, one might not notice.

There are few bones jutting out, few oversize heads and bellies. But a slow, deep hunger has been building in Guatemala for decades. And now it’s destroying a generation.

In the drab-sounding hamlet of Lote 14 (Lot 14), 100 kilometers south of the capital in the department of Escuintla, 2-year-old María sits still on her mother’s lap, her twig-like arms dangling limply. Weighing a third less than she should, María looks frighteningly small. Staring at the mud floor of their empty kitchen, her mother, Paulina Noj, explains the daily struggle to feed María and her other seven children.

Her husband is lucky – despite rampant unemployment, he has a job, but he only earns $40 a week. Before, that was just enough for them to buy the basics – corn and beans. But rising food prices have doubled the cost of corn over the past year and they can no longer get enough to feed all 10 in the family.

“Everything is so expensive now that sometimes we just can’t buy corn,” Noj said. “There isn’t always enough to feed the kids.”

Clearly hungry herself, Noj can’t produce breast milk to feed her little girl, and has helplessly watched her get “very skinny.”

But skinny, small children are so normal here that it took Noj months to understand there was a serious problem. In fact, few Guatemalans find it odd that 4- and 7-year-olds will often look the same age.

Almost half of Guatemalan children suffer from chronic malnutrition; in rural Mayan areas it’s worse. And this slow hunger means that physical growth is being stunted as bodies are deprived of vital proteins. Malnutrition also has an invisible effect on the mind in the form of diminished brain development.

Malnourished children like María, who suffer physical and cerebral starvation in their early years, will never recover. Willem van Milink Paz, a representative for the World Food Program in Guatemala, calls chronic malnutrition a “life sentence” that condemns generation after generation.

The dimensions of the problem are already immense, and they continue to grow. According to UNICEF, Guatemala has the fourth-highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world, lagging behind just a few arid countries, including Afghanistan.

Looking around Guatemala’s lush landscape – dominated by plantations of bananas, sugar cane, coffee, and corn – this seems impossible. But historic inequality means that half this land is owned by only 2 percent of Guatemala’s 14 million people. Wealth is similarly concentrated, making Guatemala one of the least-equal societies in the world. And with the region’s lowest tax rate of 11 percent, change is unlikely soon. The result is that the majority of Guatemalans live in miserable poverty, struggling to access land, jobs, education, health care, and now food.

In the last few years, climate change has brought a series of natural disasters and erratic rainfalls that destroyed small plots of land many subsistence farmers depend on to feed their families. No longer able to grow crops, more Guatemalans have to buy food.

Religious and cultural beliefs have made family planning unpopular, so rural couples often try to feed six or seven children on incomes that can barely feed two.

Aid workers weigh Arazeli, a dangerously malnourished 2-year-old Guatemalan girl.

Natasha Pizzey-Siegert Rising food prices globally and locally have made life even harder for many Guatemalans. “We are talking about a 60 or 70 percent rise in food prices since January last year. That’s basic food. … Corn is at the highest [price] in history right now”, said Van Milink Paz.

“Last year we could buy six corn tortillas for 12 cents; now we get three or four,” said Noj. Even beans are out of her reach now, and luxuries like eggs and meat are unthinkable.

It’s hard to imagine her daughter María making it to school. But if she does, she will likely find that up to eight in 10 of her classmates will be malnourished too. Their stunted brains will struggle to keep up in class, and many will fall years behind in school.

They will be sick often with diarrhea and respiratory disorders that will make them lose even more weight. Some may die.

Those who live will grow up to be weak adults with a reduced physical and mental capacity. Ultimately, they will start the cycle again: malnourished parents producing malnourished babies.

Inevitably, this cycle is stunting Guatemala’s development. Billy Estrada, undersecretary of food security for the Guatemalan government, admits, “We can’t even guess how much this is costing [the state] because it’s just so big.”

The costs of repeated school years, emergency health care and food handouts can be estimated, but the earnings lost because Guatemalans have been malnourished en masse are immeasurable.

“When these malnourished children are men, … maybe they will work the land, but they won’t be able to fully develop. … It will be hard for them to come up with ideas to start their own business and so on,” Estrada said.

Despite the obvious and urgent need for the government to tackle this problem, lack of political will and fiscal constraints have held back progress. The latest aid programs run by outgoing President Álvaro Colom were widely accused of being vote-buying schemes for their lack of transparency.

Estrada insists that the real problem has been a lack of consistency in programs. Turning them into a long-term strategy protected from politics is essential. But with a new government coming in January likely to overhaul all existing programs, underdeveloped children with underdeveloped brains look set to be Guatemala’s destiny.

http://www.mayanfamilies.org/

December E.A.T. Meeting

2012-01-04T20:51:00.004-05:00

The December E.A.T. meeting is show and tell . This year we met at Quilter's Corner's after a delicious lunch. Our hours have changed and now we eat lunch first. Nancy made this cute felted santa in a class.

June made this pretty quilt in a Carol Taylor class.

This is a pretty piece she made from vintage black glass buttons.

A small piece she made for the Over the Moon Bakery .

And last but not least a doll she made for a beaded piece she found.

I love the colors in this quilt.

This vest is a great way to use those beautiful Asian panels.

A quilt based on Anasasi rock drawings.

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2012-01-01T11:10:00.002-05:00

I was putting the finishing touches on this Butterfly Jacket which I may take on my trip to India.

The pins are in the edges before I press it then top stitch the edges.

Some fabric which I brought back from my trip to Guatemala.

Marcia and I both made Bog Coats out of this one.

And Suki was happy to have the closet door open so that she could do a little exploring.

2011-12-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

From Mayan Families, an NGO in Panajachel, Guatemala

Christmas Spirit

This is a family that we visited this week.
As you can see their home is very humble and they are in desperate need of stove to be able to cook over and have many other needs.
But what struck us most was the Christmas spirit they showed with this very sweet little Christmas tree in their home. There were no presents to put under the tree and not much food in the house but they had this little tree to be able to celebrate Christmas.
For those of us who were lucky enough to have all the comforts of a home, a refrigerator full of food, a tree laden with decorations and lots of presents underneath.......we should spare a moment to think about this family ( and so many like them ) and what it takes to still have the spirit of Christmas with so very little, at this time of year.

www.mayanfamilies.org

The kitchen. Its outside in the usual one room home.
The Christmas tree.

Repairs have to be put off when there is hardly any money for food.

This family was fortunate enough to receive a Tamale Basket for the Christmas festivities.

Lighting the stove.

Christmas in Wolcott, Part 2

2011-12-29T21:12:00.004-05:00

Christmas Eve dinner was held at my daughter Barbara's house.

With a traditional baked ham.

Dominic decided to dress in his Power Rangers costume for the occasion.

Then the family headed to Williamson for the Christmas Eve service...our favorite.

Dominic did his best to behave.

The presents are beginning to pile up under the tree at my house where we had Christmas Day Dinner.

Followed by a trip to my Grandaughter Christine's house in Williamson to watch the children open their giftsCarlos couldn't resist trying on Dominic's Rudolph hat.

Still more gifts for under the tree.

Then the children were turned loose.

And what did I get? This adorable fan for one thing.

Christmas 2011 in Wolcott, Part 1

2011-12-24T09:56:00.004-05:00

The house is cleaned (more or less) and the tree is up and trimmed. Well, ok, its a small fake tree which was pre-decorated. But its the point isn't it?

My poor cat is so exhausted from all this activity that she is sleeping with her head off the chair.

Truck Spills 40,000 Pounds Of Ice Cream, Freezes Indiana Traffic

2011-12-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

WHAT A CATASTROPHE!!!!!!!!!!!

Pat Pauly's Annual Christmas Party

2011-12-21T16:48:00.003-05:00

On Friday it was time for the annual Christmas Party at Pat Pauly's beautiful home. As usual we brought way too much food.

Beautiful decorations and wonderful gifts of course.

We took time out for a little shopping from a box of goodies I found on my trip to Guatemala this month.

And great desserts of course. The cookies spelled Happy Birthday.

And Marcia's terrific pecan tarts. Bet you can't eat just one.

The squirrels have been having a great time with the Halloween Pumpkins in Pat's yard.

2011-12-19T23:40:00.004-05:00

From Mayan Families, An NGO in Panajachel, Guatemala

Families Receiving Tamale Baskets

Thank you all for donating for families to receive Tamale Baskets! Families are filling the streets waiting to receive theirs, and it is a beautiful, joyful sight.

However, some families are coming around that have not had confirmation of receiving their donation. These families are crowding our gate, hoping to receive word.

Donate now to give the feeling of relief and gift of a Tamale Basket for Christmas. Just $35 will feed up to 10 people. To donate go to:

www.mayanfamilies.org/DonateOnline

Trip to Guatemala Part Four- Last Days in Panajachel

2011-12-18T09:56:00.006-05:00

Up to the lovely little Vegetarian Restaurant just up the street for some wonderful Dutch Tomato Soup full of basil and some garlic bread. Isn't the condiment dish they serve with it a beauty. Made just next door in San Antonio Palopo. Soup, garlic bread and a diet coke costs about $8.70. Plus tip of course.

Ok, ok. Here's the banana split photo. Actually there are at least four places in town for one. One is them is half a block from my hotel. And two spots for delicious cheesecake. One just a block away. Its really rough being here. A banana split is about $3.70.

On weekends there are more people in town, usually from Guatemala City so there are more vendors set up on the main street.

I have gotten very well acquainted with this women from Santiago Atitlan who is a sort of huipil broker...selling huipils for other women for a small commission. I see her in Santiago and this time here in Panajachel in the restaurant where I was eating lunch. I have bought quite a few from her but prefer to purchase them from the makers.

The view from the restaurant. It doesn't get much better than this.

Every once in awhile I find a really nice piece on my travels. This trip a woman sold me what I assume was a small baby carrier which is really heavily embroidered. There is even a little mended spot around the middle of the stripe down the center. Really quite lovely in person. A soft dark green.

Trip to Guatemala Part 3- Parade in Panajachel

2011-12-17T13:45:00.006-05:00

After what seemed like a long wait the parade finally began. Fortunately it was in front of my hotel so I could go in and out of my room while I was waiting.

The parade was in celebration of the "Burn the Devil" Festival . Or a Feast of the Virgin. Or Both? These are supposed to be two famous Soccer Players or something like that. I have no idea who.

After parading for awhile they danced up and down the street.

I am not quite sure what these figures have to do with beating the devil but they were very popular.

There have been firecrackers going off for days and fireworks over the Lake at night.

We had seen the same parade during the day in Solola , up the mountain and in Chichicastenango , an hour or so away. The paraders must be awfully hot under those costumes and tired by now.

Trip To Guatemala Part Two, Chichicastenango Market

2011-12-15T13:26:00.003-05:00

Thursday and Sunday are Market Day in Chichicastenango. There are always flower sellers and a flurry of activity in front of the main church on the square.

There was also a Mayan ceremony in the church. No photos allowed of course.

Restaurant inside the market. The market wasn't as crowded today. There were fewer tourists around.
On the way back to Panajachel we stopped for some photos of Lake Atitlan at the overlook.

Back in Panajachel a crowd was gathering in front of my hotel for a parade. The view across the street.
And food vendors were setting up of course.

A Week in Panajachel, Guatemala

2011-12-13T10:05:00.006-05:00

Another great week in Panajachel, Guatemala. As usual I stayed at the wonderful Posado de las Volcanes. One morning I came out to what I thought was a woman's voice saying "Hola" (hello) and it turned out to be this beautiful parrot!

Lunch at a local vegetarian restaurant. I have to be occasionally good to make up for all the pancakes and cheesecake I eat here, as well as banana splits.

The second day I took the trip across the Lake to Santiago Atitlan.

While the lake looks peaceful here the wind came up and it was a really really bumpy ride in a small boat.

Guatemalan Rule #14. Don't cross the lake when its windy and wavy.

Guatemalan Rule #15. If you ignore Rule 14, don't try it with an open soda can.

My favorite huipils are made in this village, almost all containing bird motifs. I also purchase many of my beads from the women in this village who make the jewelry.
A family friend named Bob. My son in law used to sponsor him in school. He is now 26 and married with two children. His wife now makes beaded jewelry.
I bought this one. Its machine embroidered but absolutely beautifully done. The work is done on a treadle machine.
Part of the weekday market in Santiago Atitlan.

Why Not Sponsor a Guatemalan Student?

2011-12-12T13:16:00.008-05:00

Sponsor a Guatemalan Student

(A message from Mayan Families, an NGO in Panajachel, Guatemala.)

Schools in Guatemala are out for their three-month break, and we want to send a big thank you to everyone who sponsored a student this year.

Thanks to your help we have sponsored over 2,000 children to go to school this year! But despite this progress, many in the Sololá region are still without access to education: while 86% attend Primaria (Elementary School), older students are often forced to drop out and work. Only 19.6% complete Básico (Junior High School grades 7-9), and only 7.9% complete Carerra (High School grades 10-12).

The consequences of dropping out follow students for the rest of their lives. A Carerra education provides training for work in tourism, teaching, business, medicine, mechanical work or a host of other steady, higher-wage professions. Without this education, students are confined to unskilled labor-jobs that will never bring in more than a few dollars a day.

The gift of a Elementary, Junior High School or a High School education will bring students benefits that last a lifetime. A sponsorship for a year for Elementary School costs $190, Junior High School costs $390, a year of High School costs $490 and a University Education costs $1,250 a year. To read more about the student sponsorship program, and to meet some of the students seeking sponsors, click here.

http://www.mayanfamilies.org/SponsoraStudent

Free Beading Tutorials by Nancy Eha

2011-12-08T22:57:00.003-05:00

Nancy Eha has a wonderful group of free beading tutorials on her web site:

http://www.beadcreative.com/FreeBeadingLessons.htm

Quilts of India

2011-12-07T15:46:00.002-05:00

Here is a very interesting You Tube video (3 minutes or so ) on the Quilts of India.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgRBxPFji2E

The Sewing Project - Panajachel

2011-12-06T23:08:00.001-05:00

The Sewing Project - Mayan Families - Panajachel Guatemala

The sewing project is an Income Generating Activity (IGA) aimed at providing women with sewing skills. Our goals are: to train women in using a sewing machine; to promote economic growth of the participant, her family, and her community; to promote the transfer of skills between participants; to provide the participants with the resources to market their products; to promote the habit of saving money; to provide the participants with basic business knowledge; to train the participants with life skills.
Traditionally, only men have had access to working with sewing machines. Hand sewing, which can be painstakingly intricate and time consuming, has been reserved for women. The woman's traditional role has been the caretaker of the family, which includes sewing for them by hand. With proper training and a sewing machine, an Indigenous woman can better tend to the needs of her family, as well as have a marketable skill to contribute to the family's income. Equipped with a sewing machine, women are able to produce more items in less time, and have a higher quality product, which increases the chances that she will be able to sell her items for a profit.

Featured Artisan

Rosario Ramos Xulcut is 35 years old and a mother of 4 children, 3 girls and one boy between the ages of 4 and 14. She has been associated with Mayan Families since 2007, when she participated in the Sewing Project and received her sewing machine. Ever since, she has been making machine-sewn items such as aprons, shirts and bags, for herself and her children. In addition, she also sells those items to the local women of San Jorge and Panajachel. Because of the knowledge she gained through the sewing project, she is able to help provide for her children's school expenses. Her husband, Alejandro, 37 years old, does odd jobs in town in order to earn an income, and he and Rosario combine their income to keep their kids in school.

The Sewing Instructor

Alberto Bocel is our highly skilled, full-time instructor. He has over twenty years of experience as a tailor, and has been the instructor for the program ever since its inception in 2006. He has taught every single woman who has participated in this project.

Details

Classes are made available to the women based on donations which pay for the machines. A contribution of $65 enables an Indigenous woman to improve her life by learning to use a sewing machine.

The women pay a small fee to be able to attend the 6 month course. We hold regular classes in Panajachel and in the nearby town of San Jorge la Laguna. Between 6 and 10 women are chosen to participate in the classes, which are held twice a week for six months total.

The demand for this program is high, and we typically have a backlog of women waiting to get into new classes.

Successes of the Sewing Project

This project has had wonderful success since its inception in 2006. Some successes are listed below:

•Women save money by making their own traditional aprons, clothing, and household goods
•Women save money by making and mending clothing for their children
•Women earn money by making and selling aprons, bags, blouses, clutches, coin purses, curtains, bed sets, kitchen accessories, bathroom accessories, and shorts
•Women earn money by mending clothes for other people
•Women are able to contribute to the economics of the home
•Women are able to make financial contributions related to their children's health and education
•Women are less dependent on men for money
•Women feel empowered
Graduates are now able to use machines to sew the following items:

•Aprons (traditional, for adults)

•Aprons (traditional, for children)
•Bags
•Blouses

•Clutches

•Coin purses

•Curtains

•Bed sets
•Kitchen accessories
•Bathroom accessories
•Shorts
•Wallets

Other non-sewn items made by the women in the sewing project:

•Beaded jewelry

•Beaded jewelry ornaments
•Traditionally woven fabrics

•Traditionally woven shawls

•Traditionally woven napkins
•Traditionally embroidered shirts
•Traditionally embroidered belts

The items made by participants are typically sold in their own communities. Though some women do travel outside of their village to sell those items in nearby towns, the cost of transportation often makes it difficult for women to travel to farther villages. We occasionally hold artisan markets at our offices, where we invite our women to sell their goods to our visitors.

If you would like to donate go to www.mayanfamilies.org

Butterfly Jacket Class in Ithaca

2011-12-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

I just finished teaching the Butterfly Jacket to a great group at the beautiful Quilter's Corner's Quilt Shop in downtown Ithaca. Setting up.

I always encourage students to make strips which become strips of squares from their final fabric selections before they begin designing their jackets.

And almost everyone seems to want to incorporate Seminole Patchwork in their garment.

Auditioning squares of Australian fabric for a jacket back.

And the pale green/red jacket begins to take shape.

The animals are part of the flannel base, not part of the jacket.

Another Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2011-12-04T14:24:00.001-05:00

Nancy continues working on her blue and red Oriental piece.

And Pat has a finished beauty.

Marcia's composition is looking better and better as she continues to work on it.

And I have a vest I started several years ago almost finished.

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2011-12-02T07:55:00.003-05:00

I worked on the blocks I made recently at Casowasco.

Marcia had some blocks she made a while ago which she wants to finish.

And Bev had some wonderful blocks she made recently in a Nancy Crow Class.

We really liked this one.

Where Have All the Kathmandu Quiltmakers Gone?

2011-11-28T11:05:00.007-05:00

Where have all the quilt-makers gone?

By MANISHA NEUPANE & RAJITA DHUNGANA
Kathmandu Post

Nathan Yadav, 35, stands in the gallis of Bhedasingh, Ason everyday, armed with his wooden Dhanus. (Similar to a bow for a bow and arrows) He calls out to the people passing by with a sharp “Sirak dasana banaune ho?” accompanied by an occasional twang of his medieval-looking apparatus, advertising his quilt-making services the way he's been doing for years. Bhedasingh has long been popular for cotton blankets; it is where people from all over the Valley used come to at one time—and there are a fair number who still do—for a range of cotton products, including mattresses, bedding and even clothes. And it is here that many men like Yadav are found earning a living.

Yadav, originally from Raxaul, India, has been in Kathmandu for almost a decade now. He came here hoping to use his skills in a trade that he had learnt as a young man and make some decent money. “Quilt-makers are not in that great demand in India because of the hot weather there. This is why many of us who make cotton blankets come here, to Nepal, where more work is available,” says Yadav. Most quilt-makers, in fact, hail from the border regions, including Bihar, Sisauni, and Raxaul. Some of them have families that have been living in Nepal for three generations.

The quilt-makers either wait in the gallis of major transactional places like Ason and Lagankhel, or roam the suburbs carrying the Dhanus. Although already diminishing, their numbers receive a distinctive boost with the arrival of winter, as demand for warm bedding starts rising—particularly between August and February. “They make solid profits during the winter, and they work very fast. One worker can make at least three blankets per day, charging Rs. 350-400 per piece ((around $4.50 to $5.50),” says Pradeep Shrestha, who owns Machhindra Clothing, a small enterprise that often hires the workers.

Most long-time residents of Kathmandu are familiar with the peculiar drone of the Dhanus, played like a string instrument to announce the presence of a quilt-maker in the vicinity. In a city where a variety of street hawkers abound, the Dhanus' twang is a distinctive—or at least used to be—part of the soundscape. It also makes for a unique sight, with its oddly-shaped wooden body fitted with a string, used to chop up cotton and make it softer and fluffier.

Abdul Hamid, a quilt-maker who has been in this line of work for more than 40 years, says that he enjoys what he does, despite being far from his family and home in Rautahat. However, Abdul doesn't believe this will remain a sustainable source of income, not for long anyway. “The cotton blankets that we make are now being replaced in large amounts by readymade Chinese blankets. It has hampered our work a lot and business is no more like it used to be before,” he says.

It is precisely this sense of uncertainty regarding the future of a profession already at risk of becoming obsolete—in the face of a barrage of mass-produced replacements flooding the market in the last decade—that has compelled many quilt-makers to find part-time work elsewhere to support their families, especially during the off seasons.

“It wasn't always like this; this used to be a profitable trade. Not only was I able to built a house of my own in Rautahat but also got my sons and daughters married,” says Abdul.

This downward trend is reiterated by Pradeep, but he says there are still occasions on which these traditional-made products are sought after specifically. “This time of year, it's the wedding season, and people prefer traditional blankets to the readymade ones. We usually get a considerable number of orders,” he says. He adds that although sales of these old-school blankets might suffer, they probably won't ever be replaced totally. “People have a certain attachment to things they've seen being used in their families and cotton blankets are one of them,” he says.

Maya Kumari Shrestha, for instance, says that she wouldn't settle for anything else, a big reason for which is the price. These traditional siraks cost Rs. 700 to 800 (around $10)whereas the Chinese blankets are much more expensive, starting from Rs. 1,200 (around $16). “Its hard to think of replacing them. We have already gotten used to the siraks and dasnas,” she says. Sita Ghimire demonstrates a similar view while shopping for blankets for her daughter's wedding. “The Chinese blankets might look attractive but they are incomparable to our traditional oodnis,” she says. “Moreover these oodnis can be remade and reused, and have great utility value.” Sita laments the fact that there are fewer quilt-makers on the streets today, forcing her to come all the way to Bhedasingh. “When my elder daughter was getting married five years back, I didn't have to come here. Nowadays, there are hardly any quilt-makers that visit my area.”

With dwindling numbers and a dwindling source of income, these quilt-makers are facing what many traditional professions and crafts have suffered under the inescapable clutch of globalisation—a gradual phase-out. For now at least, they appear to have a loyal customer base in Kathmandu, but who is to say what will happen tomorrow? With more and more machine-made products hitting the store-shelves at increasingly competitive prices, these traditional siraks—and their makers—are having a hard time holding their ground. The sound of the Dhanus, once a friendly reminder of cold weather and warm beds, looks set to fade out slowly.

Thanksgiving in Wolcott

2011-11-26T10:49:00.001-05:00

Some of the family relaxes on the sofa watching the Godfather after enjoying the annual turkey dinner. Dominic has his toys all over the floor of course.

Then decides to take a break from that and ride the stationary bike for awhile in the other living room.

Wonderful Weekend at Casowasco

2011-11-19T18:23:00.004-05:00

Another great weekend with the Tompkins County Quilt Guild at the Casowasco Retreat on Owasco Lake. Setting up the room.

Casey was making a quilt for her mother.

All kinds of quilts appear on the walls over the weekend.

There is even the occasional dress, jacket or apron.

This was the beginning of a sample quilt for Quilter's Corners in ithaca.

I worked on a series of blocks made from Kaffe Fassett fabric. An easy project for the weekend.Casey finished her top.

Another sample quilt for Quilter's Corners.The beginnings of a smashing quilt.

One of Ruth White's cell quilts on the right.

Christmas Tamale Baskets for Guatemala

2011-11-16T01:43:00.001-05:00

Christmas Tamale Food Baskets!

It is Christmas Tamale Food Basket time again! Tis the Season for Giving Food!

Christmas Food Basket Time!

IT IS THE SEASON FOR SHARING.
At midnight on Christmas Eve 2005, two of Mayan Families (an NGO in Panajachel, Guatemala ) sponsored students went door to door hoping someone would give them a tamale to eat.

This is the traditional meal at Christmas in Guatemala. Their single mother could not afford to buy the ingredients to make Tamales.

When they found out about this they wondered how many other families could not afford to celebrate Christmas and how many other children were sad and hungry at this time of the year.

It turned out there were a lot of people who could not afford to celebrate Christmas.

In 2006 they started the Christmas Tamale Basket Program. They gave out 215 baskets of food. In 2007 they gave out 650 baskets. In 2008 we gave out more than 1,000. In 2009 they gave out approximately 1,600 Christmas Baskets of Food! In 2010, probably because of the economy, the count was down to 1380. Many families had to be turned away.

This year has been a very, very hard year in Guatemala, natural disasters, sink holes, flooding, mud slides, volcano eruptions, rising costs of living and a severe lack of jobs due to a lack of tourism and all of the reasons listed above.

Mother Teresa said "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one..."

They are asking for your help to feed just one family this Holiday Season.

Food prices have continued to rise again this year .
This Food Crisis means that families will be forced to forego traditional foods for tortillas and beans. This continues to take its toll on children and families. There are lots of families needing help.

Malnutrition is a constant challenge in Guatemala. Guatemala has one of the highest malutrition rates in the world.

Please consider feeding an impoverished family this Holiday Season.

Many families in Guatemala do not have enough food to eat this year. Many of the families that they work with cannot afford to have the traditional meal at midnight on Christmas Eve.

You can make a difference now.

For $35 you can give a Christmas Tamale Basket and feed a family of 12 or more. Their Christmas basket is made of plastic and will be used afterwards by the family to stack and wash dishes, hold food etc. The food items will include: Oil, 15 lbs of Rice to make the tamales, a block of drinking chocolate (this is traditional to drink at midnight), a loaf of bread with which they eat the tamales at midnight, sugar for the tamales, coffee, usually they include raisins, grapes, apples but this year there are so many people in need of food that these luxury items will be replaced for food staples such as beans, corn or vitamin enriched cereal. Its hard for us to imagine that raisins, grapes and apples are considered "luxury" items here.

To make a contribution for the Christmas Tamale baskets please go to their website
http://mayanfamilies.org/DonateOnline
and go the General Donation section to send a donation. If you would like to pay by check please send your donation made out to Mayan Families to:

Mayan Families
P.O. Box 52
Claremont, N.C. 28610

If you would like to give this gift in Honor of someone special, please send them an email to: dwight@mayanfamilies.org
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ABOUT Them:
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Butterfly Jacket Class with the Weaving Guild

2011-11-14T21:40:00.005-05:00

I spent three delightful days last week with the Weaving Guild in Rochester. The first day was a fashion show for the guild, followed by a two day Butterfly jacket class. Almost everyone opted to add some Seminole Patchwork to their jacket.

The Weaving Guild is much more than just weavers. They teach classes on several of the fiber arts at their new location at the Piano Mall in East Rochester. Here a gorgeous jacket begins to take shape from silk and parts of a skirt from Indochina.

A hand embroidered square is going to be part of two vest fronts.

The silk jacket progresses.

Two jacket fronts are finished.

This one uses a mola in the back for its main focus.

A gorgeous hand dye is the focal point for the front of this jacket.

The silk jacket at the end of the day.

And finished a few days later. The back.

Made by Eileen Driscoll from Ithaca.

Workshop with Gloria Loughman, Part 2

2011-11-10T19:16:00.005-05:00

Gloria holds up one of her quilts during a discussion.

My quilt begins to take shape after i had applied all the strips to the sky.

The quilt is based on a photo of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, a place I visit often. I'll be there again in December.

There are actually three volcanoes and a lot of small villages on the hillsides.

At the end of the workshop. Actually I ended up not liking the sky after all and will replace it. The Lake and foreground also needs a little tweeking.

Workshop with Gloria Loughman, Part 1

2011-11-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take a class with Gloria Loughman from Australia, a quilter I had been admiring since I read her first book on Landscapes a couple of years ago. I chose to make a sky out of strips of fabric...a technique she has been using lately. Cutting out the strips.
It begins to come together.

Fellow classmates busy at work.

One of Gloria's quilts.

Another of Gloria's quilts.

A sample from one of her classes. The background is painted.
Another student's background.
And another background begins to take form.
This one's about half completed.
And another very subtle background.

Quilts for Kids in Kathmandu Nepal

2011-11-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

Quilts for Kids Nepal is a microfinance project, based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It's mission is to provide work for economically-challenged women and to finance education for underprivileged children.

Founded in 2006, the project operates in an encampment of Indian street beggars located in a large field in the Boudhanath neighborhood of Kathmandu.

100% of your donation to Quilts for Kids Nepal goes to fund women's salaries as well as school tuition, school uniforms, shoes, pencils, books and backpacks for the kids.

For More Information:

http://www.quiltsnepal.org/home

To Purchase a Quilt or Sponsor a Child:

http://www.quiltsnepal.org/payment

The women use unwanted scraps which they find in the area or donations.

Many women in the community are excellent quilt-makers – with a skillful and imaginative ability to describe their world through needle and thread.

It takes three or four women approximately ten days to make one quilt. Quilt making is a time for the women to share stories, discuss family problems, and of course, catch up on a little bit of gossip! More importantly it is often a time for passing on skills and wisdom to a younger generation.

Through Quilts for Kids Nepal, many young women are learning traditional quilt-making skills and finding out, for the first time, the real value of their own creativity.

To support the women of Quilts for Kids Nepal, make a donation today. That money will be used to purchase cloth and thread, and to help pay the women's salaries.

The camp on a large field near Boudhanath, on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

By the age of 7, children from the begging camp, especially girls, are sent into the streets to beg.

Quilts for Kids seeks to empower these women by giving them an opportunity to turn their traditional skills into income for their families. The program teaches young women a marketable craft and enhances the overall standing of women in the community through the sale of quilts.

To Purchase a Quilt or Sponsor a Child:

http://www.quiltsnepal.org/payment

Quilts for

Kids Nepal
1239 Vermont Avenue, NW
Suite 901
Washington, DC 20005
ph: 818.433.0086
admin@quiltsnepal.org

$140 can change a life!

By purchasing a quilt or sponsoring a child, you directly fund the education of a child, giving her or him the skills necessary to make meaningful contribution to the village. In this way, you can directly effect social change and give one of these children a bright future.

empowering women
buying a quilt creates jobs!

Buy a quilt
Make a donation
Sponsor a child

Schweinfurth Opening- Quilts=Art=Quilts

2011-11-04T06:18:00.004-04:00

Last weekend there were two different events celebrating the opening of this years show--the 31st. All the members of GVQC who had quilts in the show were present.Nancy Hicks, Marcia Eygabroat, myself, Caris Burton, Pat Pauly and Marcia DeCamp.

Pat Pauly in front of her quilt which won First Prize....which was sponsored by GVQC!

My quilt--If Leaves Were Blue

PPat's second quilt in the show.

Ithaca New York Quilt Show - Part 2

2011-11-02T07:51:00.001-04:00

A group of attendees chatting at the show. The view is from my booth.

The fabric table for Project Iron Quilter after the contestants had made their selection.

Work in progress.

Interested show attendees take a look.

A display of last years Project Iron Quilter quilts. Mine was the turquoise one.

The judging begins

Genie Barnes discusses her quilt with a contestant.

Some of the quilts.

The vendors row.

Pat Pauly's booth.

Her beautiful hand dyed fabrics.

Ithaca New York Quilt Show - Part One

2011-10-31T07:57:00.016-04:00

The bi-annual Quilt Show in Ithaca presented by the Tompkins County Quilt Guild was beautiful and colorful as always.

Waiting for the start of Project Iron Quilter, which debuted here two years ago at their last show.

Ruth White designed these gorgeous placques for the winners.

There is always a great display of wearables.

Aafke describes how she made her unusual quilt made from labels.

The winning garment by Nancy Crouch.

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2011-10-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

Linda worked on some pieces from her stash.

And I started a new jacket based on a piece I purchased on my last trip to Laos.

Some foiled pieces left by Marcia Murphy during her last visit.

My jacket progresses.

Inspector Suki inspects some of my pieces for softness and compatability.

And Linda makes progress on her piece.

While looking for pieces for the blue jacket I found this beautiful parrot cross stitched on wool which would also make a beautiful jacket back.

Bog Coat Workshop at Quilter's Corner's - Ithaca

2011-10-25T10:02:00.001-04:00

I just love the classrooms in the new Quilter's Corners Quilt Shop in Ithaca. There is space for everyone to have their own table.

And a huge table for cutting fabric.

The Bog Coat is a great pattern for large prints you don't want to cut up. By the end of the day participants are trying on their jackets.

This beauty doesn't have its front band yet.

And this self-banded one is just about finished.

As is this one with a contrasting band.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Bangkok

2011-10-20T15:36:00.006-04:00

A great Spirit House near my Bangkok hotel.

Traffic is terrible in Bangkok and I like to stay near the River and use the River boats to get around town. The water was very high. There was major flooding in the low lying areas about two weeks after I left.

Two huge barges being towed by tug boats.

An old Portugese building

A vendor on my street.

Another advantage of my hotels location is a Swensen's Ice Cream Store half a block from my hotel. Location is everything.

The display area in the airport on the way home was full of orchids again.

The trip had its good and bad points. The Temples of Nan were absolutely fabulous and well worth the trip there. And I always love coming to this area and just hanging out and walking around...especially in Laos.

On the negative side...it was hard to get around Nan with no tuk tuks...prices are rising rapidly everywhere...and crafts are becoming harder and harder to find.

A nice perk on the way home was the use of the first class lounge while I waited for the plane. Great food and comfy surroundings.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Train from Nong Khai to Bangkok

2011-10-19T21:57:00.003-04:00

The Royal Family is greatly revered in Thailand. Members spend a great deal of time visiting charities they sponsor and "opening" things. A couple of years ago the rail link from Nong Khai Thailand across the Mekong into Laos was completed and, of course, had to be "opened". The King's second daughter, Princess Sirindhorn did the honors. When a Royal "opens" something apparently everything they deal with must be preserved and shown. In the Nong Khai station is this large glass case with the Princess's photo, a sofa she sat on, the podium she used for her speech, photos of the event and so on. My daughter, son-in-law and I happened to be in the station a couple of years ago the day before the opening and the station was full of folding chairs in rows, neatly covered with white cotton slipcovers waiting for the great event.

I was waiting for the evening train to Bangkok. I used to buy a First Class ticket and reserve the whole compartment (upper and lower) but the Railway changed the rules and I was no longer able to purchase tickets online. I then discovered that 2nd class was very comfortable and much cheaper. The racks hold luggage and serve as steps to the upper bunks.

The seats which face each other are wide and very comfortable.

An attendant makes up the beds adding a foam mattress and clean bedding. I always bring a pillow and extra blanket (which comes in handy just about everywhere with the air conditioning)

And all the bunks have privacy curtains and there is a western toilet at the end of the car. The train leaves Nong Khai around 6:30 pm and arrives in Bangkok around 7am the next morning. Not a bad trip. The second class ticket is around $25.00.

Trip to Thailand & Laos-Laos

2011-10-17T19:38:00.013-04:00

After Chiang Mai I took two flights on Thai Airlines and a shuttle to the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai and a taxi to Vientiane, Laos. A street vendor near my hotel

This building has been in the process of being remodeled for years. There used to be un upscale clothing store on the ground floor.

Pumpkin soup at one of my favorite restaurants.

My first banana split on this trip.

I never can resist these statues.

A new Chinese style temple which has just been built in the new park by the Mekong.

And a nearby tower. The park was designed to hold back the flood waters.

And includes playgrounds.

A beautiful mural on the temple wall.

On my last evening I had Chicken & Cashew Nuts...my favorite meal in Laos.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Chiang Mai

2011-10-16T17:59:00.004-04:00

The next day after a lovely six hour bus ride I arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The ride was over a very hilly section full of rice paddies and small villages. My hotel in Chiang Mai was across from Tai Pai Gate...a landmark on the old City Walls and the scene of the Sunday afternoon and evening market.

Okay...I know you have seen enough temples but I couldn't resist this one on my route into the main section of the City.

I'm not quite sure what this creature is.

The Sunday evening market is full of fast food stalls.

And stalls full of all kinds of crafts and nick nacks.

More fast food by one of the Temples.

This beautiful old building on one of the main streets has been turned into a Lawyer's Office.

An interesting dress made from fabric stripsAnd another interesting temple.

I had dinner one evening at one of my favorite restaurants...the Riverside on the Ping River.

They also offer dinner on their boat which cruises up the river later in the evening. Two weeks after my trip there was massive flooding in Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 7

2011-10-14T11:40:00.021-04:00

On my last day there was a parade in front of my hotel which I could see from the balcony.

Monks, schoolchildren and marching bands.

Apparently it had something to do with celebrating the end of the Monsoon Season and the harvest.

A collection of antique shuttles on display in one of the hotel living rooms.

And local weaving.

Aside from the temples the town was rather boring post war concrete construction.

I walked just one block north from the hotel and discovered two more gorgeous temples.

A doorway to the first one.

And the Bell Tower.

The second had definite Chinese influence.

And some of the most gorgeous dragons I had ever seen.

And the usual 3D murals inside.

And what about these doors!

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 6

2011-10-09T13:34:00.019-04:00

A monk praying at yet another temple.

A beautiful gold chedhi under repair.

Gold lotus blossoms on the ceiling.

This temple was on a hillside and the dragons at the entrance were so long it was impossible to photograph the whole length.

Beautiful rice fields out in back.

Inside were the most amazing 3-D murals I have ever seen inside a temple.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 5

2011-10-08T19:11:00.018-04:00

Our next stop was a beautiful old teak house with weavers on the ground floor.

An upstairs bedroom. The floors were polished to a mirror like shine.

An old Singer treadle sewing machine in one of the rooms.

The old kitchen.

Then on to yet another temple.

The drum tower.

A deceased revered lama.

And beautiful doors of course.

Old prayer books in an upstairs room.

And old kitchen utensils.

A gathering of monks outside one of the buildings.

Trip to Thailand & Laos, Nan Part 4

2011-10-05T06:33:00.000-04:00

An interesting very worn lion outside yet another temple.

Interesting murals inside another temple.

How could i resist a tiger drawing?

Between temples we stopped at a famous silvermakers shop where I bought a bracelet.

A silver cup he was working on.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 3

2011-09-29T09:42:00.028-04:00

Our next stop was what was considered one of the most beautiful wats in Thailand.

Actually its famous more for the murals inside than for the design...supposedly like weaving dragons...hard to see in this photo.

But the murals inside are copied and displayed on paintings and souvenirs all over the country

The doors are quite spectacular too.

These figures were inside the little round building on the grounds.

The Bell Tower.

A flowering vine on one of the trees.

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 2

2011-09-26T06:52:00.038-04:00

My second morning I hired the hotel van and driver to take me around to the major temples.

Our first stop was a Wat on top of a hillside where some repairs were underway on one of the doors.

Where the monks sit and pray.

An old Chedi under repair.

This gorgeous golden Buddha overlooked the valley and it must have been a wonderful sight during clear weather.

Stairs going down the hillside.

The carvings on the outside of the buildings was quite exceptional.

And wonderful murals inside one of the buildings. And these weren't even the best murals in town!

The doors were quite spectacular too.

Debora at Mayan Families

2011-09-25T05:35:00.007-04:00

As many of you know I am a big fan and big supporter of Mayan Families, a wonderful NGO located in Panajachel, Guatemala. I don't usually talk about them all that much (I feel people need to find their own organizations to work with) but I thought this was a wonderful story.

Debora's news!

We at Mayan Families are always surprised and amazed by some of the stories we hear every day. Debora's is one of those stories that make us reflect on our own lives and how we, sometimes, make a big deal of minor problems.
Debora is 9 years old. She lives in Panajachel with her mother, father and five siblings. She had a problem at birth and the doctor told the family that they had to make a choice to either have Debora's head grow to a very large proportions or to cut her spine and she would have a normal size head but not be able to walk. With this agonizing decision, the family decided that their daughter would have a more normal life if they cut their spinal chord.
Debora is only a child, but she is doing the best she can to live a normal life. Luckily for her, she has a very supportive family and her mother Ramona dedicates almost all of her time to take care of her. When she was only four, her mother took her to the pool at a hotel in Panajachel and Debora loved every minute of her time there, so her mother decided, despite her scarce financial resources, to enroll her in the swimming classes and soon the girl was competing. Debora's eyes shine when she speaks about swimming. She has been to several competitions some of them in other cities; she has won 9 medals and she told us with pride that she even competed with kids without any disability and won.

Her mother told us that Debora loves to be outside; she likes to see people on the street, go to the supermarket, sit near the lake and watch other kids play. Mayan Families sponsored her to go to school, at first, we had to encourage the school to accept Debora but then they saw how much Debora loves to go to school and she was accepted. Her favorite thing is to read and write, she already wrote some poems but she is too shy to show them to us. When asked about what makes her sad, she told us that is the fact that she doesn't have many friends, she said that her classmates don't like to play with her because she cannot walk, but she loves her siblings and she has 2 good friends that play with her all the time.
Life in a wheelchair is not easy, especially when the financial resources are very limited, but Debora is an example to be followed. She is persistent and according to her mother, she always gets what she wants. She is determined to live a joyful life and to become a swimming teacher and we at Mayan Families, together with our donors, are glad to be helping her to have a good education and follow her dreams. Debora touched our hearts and we hope she touches yours too!

If you are interested in more information :

www.mayanfamilies.org.

Trip to Thailand & Laos, Nan - Part 1

2011-09-22T16:36:00.017-04:00

The second morning (after my suitcase was returned...of course after I had bought new clothes and stuff) I left Bangkok for Nan on Nok Air. I love the way they decorate their planes (but not the way they cancel flights...two on this trip) Flights leave from the old airport which I used to love but now looks rather forlorn now that its reduced in size and has no hope of any improvements.

In Nan I checked in to the gorgeous Pukha Nanfa Hotel, an 80 year old Teak hotel which had totally been redone two years ago to a boutique hotel.

My room on the second floor with flatscreen tv couldn't have been nicer.

There was a safe in the closet and a huge bathroom inside the wall on the right.

After settling in I headed out to view a few of the sights. The town itself is just the usual boring concrete buildings but the old temples are something else.

Those are elephants under the mold below the gold chedhi.

My next stop was the Nan Museum, housed in the home of the last Nan ruler.

By the end of the -14th century Nan was one of the nine northern Thai-Lao principalities that comprised Lan Na Thai (now Lanna) and the city state flourished throughout the 15th century under the name Chiang Klang (Middle City), a reference to its position roughly midway between Chiang Mai (New City) and Chiang Thong (Golden City, which is today's Luang Prabang). The Burmese took control of the kingdom in 1558 and deported many of the inhabitants to Burma as slaves; the city was completely deserted until western Thailand was retaken from the Burmese in 1786. The local dynasty then regained local sovereignty and it remained semi-autonomous until 1931 when Nan finally accepted full Bangkok dominion. Parts of the old city wall and several early wats dating from the Lanna period can be seen in contemporary Nan.

A walkway on the grounds.

Guardians at the door.

The National Museum

Just a cute dragon on a Wat on the way back to the hotel.

Trip to Thailand and Laos ---Bangkok

2011-09-21T17:17:00.006-04:00

Here's an idea for a franchise. Fish therapy. You soak your feet in this invigorating fish tank. Fifteen minutes are a little over $3 I arrived in Bangkok after a 7 and 14 hour flight to be greeted by a man with a sign with my name on it. My suitcase with my clothes and toiletries had not arrived. Terrific.

So the next morning I headed out in my hot travel clothes to a mall near Chinatown. In another Asian capital this building would probably be called "Colonial" But Bangkok never had a Colonial period.

A beautiful Wat right across the street.

Unfortunately the buildings were closed.

A spirit house on the grounds.

Just a pretty street side pond.

A beautiful display of fabric from a shop inside the Mall. I never shop here as the prices are too high and the clerks too pushy.

After buying some cooler clothes you can guess my destination

Just a little ice cream for the weary shopper.

Schweinfurth Art Show- Quilts=Art=Quilts 2011

2011-09-20T10:15:00.003-04:00

My Quilt "If Leaves Were Blue" has been juried into the Schweinfurth Quilt Show Quilts=Art=Quilts. The show runs from October 30th to January 8th at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Gallery in Auburn, N.Y.

My Next Car

2011-09-14T18:04:00.000-04:00

I spotted this dandy little car in the parking lot of my favorite breakfast diner in Alton. Maybe not for a year round car but wouldn't it be great in the summer?

It's Time to Plan Another Trip to Thailand & Laos

2011-09-10T10:38:00.000-04:00

Summer is just about over and it is surely time to plan another trip to Thailand and Laos. After a couple of overnights in Bangkok I am taking a flight to Nan, up in the mountains to the East of Chiang Mai. Its beautiful country and I have never been there.

On the way out I have to take a bus to Chiang Mai (the only flight was cancelled) so I will be able to see lots of this scenery.

The town is full of beautiful temples and has an ethnic museum.

But so far I haven't been able to locate the adress of any Banana Split shops. Fortunately there is my favorite one near my hotel in Bangkok so I can fortify myself for the rest of the trip.

September RAFA Meeting in Rochester

2011-09-07T08:39:00.000-04:00

There is always time for conversation before the business meeting.

Then comes Show and Tell. This was a present of photos for her Mother's 90th birthday.

Janet has been turning out lots of beautiful jackets for her upcoming Clothesline Sale.

And Val has been doing ice cube dyeing.

Mary's curved pieced small quilt.

Would you believe...there is a dragon in there?

Seminole Class at the Bobbin Case in Rochester

2011-09-06T20:32:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I taught a class on Seminole Patchwork at the Bobbin Case in Rochester.

This class doesn't produce much yardage but lots of samples.

And takes serious pinning and cutting to obtain precision work.

Three of Margaret Reek's beautiful samples. The one on the left is embellished with metallic thread.

Yikes! The Flamingo Flock has Moved!!!!!

2011-09-04T08:47:00.000-04:00

Yikes! The Flamingo Flock has moved to the lawn of a house around the corner on one of the main streets of Wolcott. They had better not try and come roost in my yard!

Maybe I should get a Bee Bee Gun!

Well, OK.....how about a slingshot?

Escape to a New Life - Smaller Version

2011-09-03T13:32:00.003-04:00

Here is a smaller version of the last quilt, purchased from my Hmong friends in Laos on one of my trips.

It is missing many of the elements, of course, but is the same basic idea.

Sold Measures 34" X 52" Questions? Email me at pkibbee@aol.com.

Hmong Quilt for Sale, Escape to a New Life

2011-09-02T16:12:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR LARGER PICTURES

I have been purchasing wonderful Story Quilts for a number of years from their makers in Vientiane, Laos. Although the Hmong can be found in Vietnam and Thailand I usually find the best quilts in Laos. And over the years I have developed a relationship with some of the makers who save me a nice selection. Every few years I am lucky enough to be offered an Escape Quilt.

Hmong story cloths are an art unto themselves, totally separate from other Hmong textiles which feature geometric designs rather than pictorial. They are called "Paj Ntaub Tib Neeg" and these lovely pictorial embroideries developed very recently in Hmong history. It appears that Hmong men began to draw elements of traditional Hmong stories to help make sure they would be remembered during the times of change. While in the refugee camps, if not sooner, women began to have the men draw on fabric so that they could stitch the stories on cloth.
They are an incredible blending of tradition and modernization. Story quilts come in an array of themes from food preparation to courting and wedding traditions to life in refugee camps.

These remarkable embroidered cloths include not only the stories and daily life of Hmong culture but also record their experiences during the Vietnam war and their escape to Thailand. The quilt shown above is a large version of the "escape" quilt. If you saw Clint Eastwood's movie Gran Torino there was a smaller version on the wall in the hall in the Hmong house.

.
The Great Wall of China and Chinese troops chasing the Hmong on horseback. And a typical Hmong village.The central Chinese government, dominated by Han Chinese, often left the Hmong (called Miao by the Chinese) alone, as long as they paid their tributes to the Chinese. However, the last dynasty in China, the Qing (1644-1911), founded by Manchus, followed a different policy. Qing armies and officials oppressed the Hmong, who rose in three major periods of rebellion. In the early nineteenth century, this political persecution, along with increasing population pressure, led some of the Hmong to migrate southward into mainland Southeast Asia, where they settled in the mountainous regions of northern Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

Leaving Vietnam by air and being chased by soldiers. The trek to the border.

The stitches used for story quilts seem very limited at first glance. But there is a surprising variety including back stitch and stem stitch in a dazzling array of colors, bokhara couching is used in the walls of the houses which does a fantastic job of mimicing the bamboo construction of the Hmong houses. People, animals, flowers and tools are all comprised of satin stitch. Traditional style clothing and adornment are delicately portrayed. Note the black jackets with blue sleeve cuffs which are everywhere in a Hmong village.

Crossing the Mekong at Vientiane, Laos with the famous arch and a temple in the background.

Swimming across the river to refugee camps in Thailand.

Being processed in Thailand and the airport departure to a new life.

Price $245 plus $7.95 postage. Measures 56" X 60" Every stitch is made by hand. Cotton and poly/cotton.

Payment by Paypal. Questions to my email address: Pkibbee@aol.com which is the same for my account for a Paypal payment.

Last Day with Beth for Awhile at Marcia's Studio

2011-08-31T07:33:00.002-04:00

Beth is leaving soon for the "wilds" of North Carolina and her beach house and we spent a last sewing day at Marcia's for quite a few months. Linda worked on a combination of her hand made fabric for a possible quilt.

I applied molas to a Butterfly Jacket sample I was making for upcoming classes.

Beth was basting a few of her scrap quilts she has been making recently to take to the beach to quilt.

I really liked the one on the table.

Linda quilted one of the painted canvas pieces she made in a class with Katie Masopust.

Yikes! The Plastic Pink Flamingos are Coming!!!!!!!

2011-08-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

Ok...we are used to flocks of Canadian Geese flying overhead and making lots of noise in the Spring and Fall.

People are not so thrilled when they settle for awhile in their yards and make a mess.

But pink plastic flamingos?

I though the real and the plastic ones only hung out in Florida? I used to see them at the Hialeah Race Track when I lived there.

Much to my surprise a flock of plastic ones has appeared on a lawn on my street.

They are everywhere. All over the yard and even on top of the air conditioner.

They are even hanging out in the trees. Could this be a new fad I missed out on somehow?

The plastic pink flamingo was invented in 1957, when a young designer named Don Featherstone rendered it for Union Products, a lawn-and-garden plastics company located outside Boston. Featherstone’s art tapped into a national fascination with all things Floridian at a time when middle-class tourism was booming. After World War II, families began en masse to take road trips; many of them to the Florida beaches. They drove back north with their cars brimming with knickknacks; porcelain palm trees and plastic flamingos. The fact that the state’s real flamingos had been hunted to extinction in the late nineteenth century for their plumes and meat didn’t seem to matter. At $2.76 a pair, the plastic birds were a cheap way to lend a bit of “nature” to manicured lawns.

Flocks of plastic pink flamingos spread out across America in the 1960s. However, as with all “hot” trends, the birds then began to draw our ire. In a 1969 book titled Kitsch: the World of Bad Taste, author Gillo Dorfles called mass-produced lawn ornaments the epitome of vulgarity and the archetypal kitsch.

The Road Not Taken

2011-08-28T23:34:00.001-04:00

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This was a favorite poem of mine and that of my 2nd husband Bruce, who died 20 years ago today. I miss him every day.

In 1974 we took the chance and took that second road.....and what a trip it was.

Sunday at Dempster Grove Campground

2011-08-21T23:28:00.009-04:00

On Sunday I picked up a classmate from when I went to school in Mexico, N.Y. and headed out to Dempster Campground for the Sunday Service and lunch with several other friends from Mexico. The campground is between Oswego and Mexico and my paternal grandparents used to live just up the road in New Haven.

The choir singing in the chapel.

Listed as number 401 on the UMC Register of Historic Sites, Dempster Grove Christian Campground was founded in 1875 and has been offering a summer retreat here every year since then. The property was originally founded as a Methodist campground, with folks arriving by horse and buggy and camping in tents under the shade of trees. The annual week of worship at Dempster Grove begins in mid-August each year. The campground consists of many small camps and cottages surrounding a central chapel, which has walls that open up by pulling on ropes, allowing plenty of fresh air to enter, especially on those hot August days.

After Church we had lunch in the Dining Hall.

When I was a child the "cabins" looked rather small and were surrounded by more trees. They have been spruced up in recent years.

Quilt Show at Patricia's Fabric Store-Rochester, N.Y.

2011-08-20T22:15:00.009-04:00

Twice a year the wonderful Patricia's Quilt Shop in Rochester, N.Y. hosts a quilt show near their shop.

This was the first showing of Beth Brandkamp's beautiful quilt based on a photo her daughter took in Africa.

My quilt made from Nepal batiks.

This was a really cheery one.

My wolf quilt.

This was really striking.

My very favorite , made from batiks.

Beautiful colors in this one.

The entrance hall was full of small gems.

The Amish are Coming! The Amish are Coming!

2011-08-14T04:37:00.003-04:00

My interest in the Amish in Upstate New York was recently renewed when I happened to pass an Amish barnraising on Route 14 above Lyons a few months ago. It was fascinating to watch a "swarm" of Amish men quickly build a barn. Then I happened to hear that a group had settled in upper Oswego County...where I lived as a child.

Fortified by a Cheeseburger at Daddy Ed's Restaurant in Mexico (where I grew up) I headed out to see for myself. I didn't have far to go. I found an Amish buggy entering town as I was leaving. I took Route 11 toward Pulaski, my final destination, in a vain attempt to locate my Grandfather's old farm just outside town. I found two likely candidates, but both barns had been demolished (as most barns in the area have been) I noticed many Amish buggy signs on the highway so I assume they now own many of these farms.

My final destination was the Farmer's Market in South Park in Pulaski, a town about 12 miles north of Mexico where many of my relatives formerly lived.

There's music at the bandstand most evenings.

The beautiful Art Deco movie theater closed around 1982. A car parts store took up about half of it for a few years but now even that seems to be gone. There are no longer any movie theaters in Pulaski or Mexico.

The downtown area has been designated as an "historic district" Of course, a couple of buildings have been torn down and banks erected in their place. And no one sells "things" anymore (I guess you have to go to Walmart) There were restaurants, a lab, and a Laser clinic (I suspect they have a lot of wrinkles and such in Pulaski now), a Dance Studio, and a Martial Arts School

The horses wait patiently attached to their Amish buggies at the Market. I succumbed to a Raspberry Pie and two Fried Raspberry Tarts. The Tarts were delicious. This could become a bad habit.

The Amish around Pulaski are a Swartzentruber Amish group founded by Mose Miller in 2006. Two years ago they had 26 families, mostly from Wayne County, Ohio. Now there are 36 families with more being added. They had been homeschooling, but now they have two schoolhouses, with another under construction.

They presently have no bishop, a bishop from Heuvelton in St. Lawrence County has been presiding over this flock. They do have a deacon and other ministers, but have no bishop of their own yet. The Farmers Market in Pulaski has been running for a few years and the Amish people have been selling there since they got the ok from the Bishop. At one time they were forbidden to attend because of the music.

The Amish vendors with their wonderful baked and other goods at one end of the Market.

Amish continue to arrive in New York today. The Amish population in New York has been described as the fastest-growing in North America.

In the past ten years, Amish have established over a dozen settlements in New York, many attracted by the prospect of inexpensive farmland and communities more isolated from pressures found in other Amish settlements. These newer settlements typically number just one or two church districts, but prospects for growth in many are good.

As New York continues to offer Amish settlers suitable land and relatively sheltered locations in which to found communities, Amish settlement in the Empire State is likely to continue.

Another Great Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2011-08-12T12:06:00.005-04:00

Inspector Suki, ever on the job, was in the studio early to greet the guests and try out the space in my shopping bag.

Pat displayed some beautiful fabric she had made recently.

And started arranging blocks for some future quilts.

I worked on a sample Butterfly Jacket for upcoming classes scheduled for this fall.

Nancy worked on some beautiful blue blocks.

I displayed squares from the class I took from Katie Masopust at QbL two weeks ago. I will use one as the focus of a future quilt.

Joyce displayed two great quilts she is putting the finishing touches on.

Jazz And Wine Festival in Beautiful Downtown Wolcott

2011-08-06T19:24:00.005-04:00

This is the 2nd or 3rd Annual Central New York Wine & Jazz Festival held in "Historic Wolcott, N.Y."

It was held in the Park and in the main block downtown which was closed to traffic.

Of course there were two local policemen overseeing the activities to keep out interlopers and such.

Our beautiful famous fountain at the town traffic light.

The downtown street was full of Helavagood Cheese, Wine tasting booths and a few assorted dealers.

And a Jazz musician who seemed to be his whole band.

One of the wine tasting booths. They were using real glass wine glasses.

As usual, you can sit out front of the Hotel

The fancy grape logo was everywhere.

You can also sit out in front of both Pizza Parlors.

Back in the park I succumbed to homemade black raspberry ice cream.

Which i ate while listening to a really good Jazz Band.

As always there was other food available, but why bother when there is ice cream?

Yikes! It Gets Worse- Cleaning the Sewing Room!

2011-08-03T19:18:00.003-04:00

I thought the garage was bad. It just gets worse upstairs. I have been pulling fabric out and piling it back in in a haphazard way for months and now its time to straighten it out. I can't even walk in here without the threat of breaking a bone at the very least. There is a full size mannequin in the corner which you can't see in this photo.

And forget about finding anything. This room used to be a spare guest room. There even is a beautiful Simmons sleeper sofa under the fabric somewhere.

And this is the entrance to the "real" sewing room. Pretty sad huh?

My late husband built these shelves for me to hold my fabric. I have long since outgrown them.

On this side I have a Singer Industrial Sewing Machine (below the lamp) and there are stairs going down to the kitchen...decorated with a 30's Grandmothers Garden Quilt and an Alligator Skin. Just the thing for a sewing room...right? And, of course, you couldn't possibly get down the stairs for all the "stuff" on them.

Of course there is a TV/VCR in here to watch while I am working so that I don't have to look at the mess. I have my work cut out for me here don't you think?

Yikes! Its Clean Up-Throw Out Time!!!!!!!

2011-08-02T18:40:00.002-04:00

For the last few months I have been moving stuff around in the garage and just leaving piles in the middle for various classes I have taken and taught, vending at a couple of shows, and then there was Quilting by the Lake.

Now I can hardly move out there.

Never mind that its hard to find anything. Its time for a MAJOR cleanout-throwout!

In the meantime my poor car has to sit out in the hot sun, gazing at its cool garage where it used to live. Actually the garage is big enough for four cars if I didn't have all that stuff in it.

Quilting By the Lake-Week 2

2011-07-31T15:53:00.005-04:00

The second week's class (not with Katie) was supposed to be an abstract design using lights, mediums and darks which we were going to construct in a series of fabrics. Instead we were given this block to construct again and again all week. My first version which I thought was boring.

So I changed my color combination

And decided to do it on a pinwheel.

I will change a couple of pieces , then put triangles on the sides to make it a square. I was disappointed in this class.

Quilting by the Lake- Week 1, Katie Masopust

2011-07-30T12:12:00.004-04:00

Quilting by the Lake, Week 1. I took a wonderful class (yet again) with Katie Masopust. She is always a fabulous teacher and I learn a lot.

This was painting with acrylic on canvas. The point was to make a few then mix them up.

I chose to make them all in one colorway.

We also added bits of fabric here and there.

Here I have started exchanging circles among the canvases.

There is a lot more cutting and replacing needed for a few final pieces are completed. Then I can either frame them or incorporate them in quilts.

Yet Another Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

2011-07-25T03:50:00.000-04:00

I brought two of my quilts to take photos since I found that I didn't have any decent ones and need to put them on my web page. I am taking this quilt for the show at QBL.

Marcia is composing the quilt on the right for a magazine article.

My second quilt for the QBL Show made from Nepalese Batiks.

And Beth worked on her new scrap quilt and pieces made from a class.

Evening Critique Session at Marcia's Studio

2011-07-23T23:02:00.003-04:00

Last week we spent a rare evening critique session at Marcia's Studio.

We wanted to accomodate people who weren't available during the day.

Some work was finished, some in various stages. My blue leaves quilt was in the quilting stage so can't be changed all that much. Some people liked it better on its side. Hmmmmmmm?

There were even some framed pieces before they head off to a show.

We had no trouble filling two hours with conversation about the quilts.

And took time pondering each piece.

The verdict is still out on whether we want to repeat this. Some are concerned about driving at night in the winter and others liked to also be able to spend time working on actual pieces which we do during daytime meetings.

A Few More Sewing Days at Marcia's Studio

2011-07-13T19:26:00.003-04:00

I have been lucky enough to spend a few days sewing with friends at Marcia's beautiful studio. Here Pat helps Marcia select fabric for an upcoming quilt she is making for a mazagine article.

My blue leaves quilt is now in the quilting stage.

Beth works on making a few blocks from stips, trying to use up her scraps

And has made huge progress on the Lions quilt.

Pat Pauly's Opening Night at the Nazareth College Art Gallery

2011-07-02T14:45:00.003-04:00

Last evening I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Pat Pauly's One Woman Show at the Nazareth College Art Gallery.

Good friends, good food, and fabulous quilts, what more could you want?

I had seen all but one of these wonderful quilts before but they really looked spectacular with this setting.

The show will be open on Thurs-Sun from 1 to 8 through mid August. Don't miss it if you have the chance.

Mayan Families in Panajachel, Guatemala

2011-07-01T10:48:00.019-04:00

Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. But up in the hills, where the Indians live, some of the most terrible poverty still exists. Mayan Families, a wonderful NGO works with these families and helps find scholarships for many of their children to attend school and have a better life. Here is the story of one volunteer who is working with Mayan Families:

Carmen's Trip to Tierra Linda.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Tierra Linda

We arrived in Panajachel on Saturday and soon it started to rain. It rained all day Sunday and when we woke up on Monday we saw that it was cloudy once again. It was an inconvenience for us, only because we would need to wear our raincoats and the kids were not going to be able to use the hotel pool. What I did not imagine was the misery it really brings to some people here.

I met some employees from Mayan Families early on Monday morning and we left Panajachel to deliver food and supplies to the preschools that Mayan Families runs in San Jorge, El Barranco and Tierra Linda. On the way to San Jorge we saw that there had been a huge mudslide earlier in the day and huge boulders were blocking one lane. Some municipals workers were trying to clear the road but it was obvious it would take a long time and more equipment to move all those huge rocks. Buses were not allowed on the road, only smaller vehicles. I am sure that affected a lot of people that were counting on the buses to transport them.

When we arrived in Tierra Linda we delivered the supplies and then left to visit some families, guided by the preschool teacher. She brought us to the most remote homes in the village. The road was blocked by a fallen tree and we had to walk. It was extremely muddy but it got worse once we took the small pathways and it started to rain. We first visited the home of Rolando, a sponsored student by Mayan Families. He was taking a bath next to a tank where they collect water. It was cold and he was trying to do it quickly. We visited his home and I was shocked to see the state of the walls. They were made of mud bricks and there were cracks all over. The floor was made of dirt and it was starting to get wet. I am sure it would soon turn to mud. It was a very small room. There were two small beds and only one had a thin mattress. They showed us another room where the grandmother and the two smaller kids slept. It was just wooden boards on top of some blocks and it did not have a mattress. They only had a couple of blankets.

We visited other homes nearby and they seemed to be even worse. I have been to Guatemala 4 times but these were the worst living conditions I had ever seen. The houses were made of mud brick that was falling apart. The walls had pieces of mud missing in some places and the owners had put plastic to try to cover the holes but you could still see light coming through them. These homes seemed like they could fall down any minute. Some of them were right on the edge of the clif and they were in danger of falling down all the way to the bottom of the mountain. There rooms were very dark and some homes did not have electricity connected so they would stay that way day and night. Some had Onil stoves donated by Mayan Families and their supporters and thankfully, there was no smoke in the rooms. There was mud everywhere and most of the kids were barefoot. I felt like crying and I was mad. I could not believe those were their homes and they had to be there every day.

I thought I had seen the worst and then we got to the home of Rudy, Yesica and Josue, also sponsored to attend school. The mother was boiling some water and there was smoke all over the room they use as kitchen. They showed us the rest of the house, a room with space for a small cot and a small bed. The cot did not have a mattress and a very thin blanket of top. You could feel the wires and I could not imagine having to sleep on top of that. The other bed did not have a mattress either. The walls were covered with plastic in some places to cover the holes on the mud brick. It looked like it could fall any minute. The mother told us the husband had left 3 weeks before and she did not have any money to buy food for her children. She had only been able to get a couple of jobs cleaning onions but it was very difficult to find jobs. There was no food at the home and I mean nothing, not one potato or beans, or corn. I felt so powerless. I looked in my pockets and I only had 25 quetzals to give her. I had forgotten to exchange money and I had nothing else to give her. She was very grateful and said she would buy corn flour to make tortillas for her children. It was raining very heavy, the closest store was in the center of town which meant she either had to leave the kids home alone while she tried to walk in the mud and rain or one of children would have to make the trip to buy the flour.
We had to leave but promised to try to do something for her. She was crying saying she was desperate, that she wished she could take poison to end it all. It broke my heart to hear her say that because her children where right there. All the way down the mountain I was mad and I stayed mad all day. Life is so unfair to some people. I don't understand why and it makes me mad. I just hope I will stay mad long enough to do something for her and the other families.

If you are interested in the work which Mayan Families does check them out at:

www.mayanfamilies.org

Butterfly Jacket Class at the Bobbin Case

2011-06-30T23:38:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday and Wednesday I taught a class called the Butterfly Jacket (my name for it) at the Bobbin Case Bernina shop in Rochester. This beauty was all sewn and just being fitted before adding the lining and the finishing work.

The starting point was the beautiful hand dyed fabric in the back panel.

Beth made this wonderful jacket from hand stamped fabric from India which she had purchased at a local quilt show.

The striking back panel is pieced.

The lining has already been added to this one and its ready to have the side seams sewn before its finished.

The beautiful back panel came from John Marshall.

Trip to India & Nepal- The Trip Ends in Delhi

2011-06-26T10:43:00.005-04:00

The beautiful fruit and vegetable displays always make me sorry we don't have these markets in the US.

A local tailor. They are always men

The carrots were a redder variety.
Hmmmm. ......I wonder what that's all about.

These oxcarts are a frequent sight on the streets near our hotel.

As were small peddlars carts.

A mobile police car. There was a huge explosion in this area a few years ago by radicals of shoppers on the eve of a holiday.

A Male urinal.

Probably another hotel being built across the street from ours.

The view from the rooftop restaurant.

Trip to India & Nepal - More Delhi Shopping

2011-06-25T07:33:00.008-04:00

Just when you can't look at another roll of trim its all over.

You begin seeing some shops selling fabulous saris.

And then the street runs back into Chandi Chowk and the mad traffic of Old Delhi.

Time for a snak in New Delhi after a foray to the Central Cottage Emporium for fabric and handicrafts. There is a wonderful chain of Coffee Shops in India which serves decadant desserts.

And coffee too pretty to stir and drink.

Back to the neighborhood around our hotel for the last afternoon and evening.Oxen pulling carts are familiar scenes in this area.

There is an area where two roads join with a large intersection full of shoppers and stalls.

Dozens of cheap hotels flank this street. Although they aren't all that cheap as Delhi (and all India) attracts more and more tourists including the current 100 million middle class Indians.

Textiles hanging from the side of the building.

Trip to India & Nepal- New Delhi- Kinari Bazaar

2011-06-24T12:46:00.008-04:00

I loved this piece which came in several sizes. Great handbag trim.

There are often tourist groups through the lane on cyclos snapping photos.

Beautiful trim everywhere. Unfortunately not cheap.

Some of the dealers remember me from trip to trip.

Some of the carts looks like they carry impossible loads.

Choices, choices.

The wiring is quite imaginative.

Its best not to look up.

After awhile the shops all start looking alike.

And it takes something special to lure you in.

A bit of sparkling trim from this friendly dealer.

Hmmmm......

So many choices.

And here's that wonderful alleyway I found on my last trip. This time with people in it.

Trip to India & Nepal, New Delhi...the Last Stop

2011-06-23T21:21:00.007-04:00

Back to New Delhi for the last few days.

For the last couple of years I have been staying in Paharganj, the backpacker area near the New Delhi Train Station. There is lots of construction going on in the area as there are more hotels and cafes being built and it is going more upscale.

The streets are almost always busy.

Homeless people sleeping in the streets.

Our first shopping stop was Dilli Haat, a market in the southern part of the city.

There are vendors from all over the country.

They can supposedly stay only a few weeks and then have to move on although I have seen some constant ones over the years.

Taking a nap in the heat is always a good idea.

This is made of inlaid wood. I bought one of a tiger a few years ago.

I am always interested in the textiles of course.

Some hand embroidered pieces which were very expensive. Click on the picture to enlarge it and see the details. Just gorgeous.

And some weird wood.

After Dilli Haat we were off to Kinari Bazaar in the old section of Delhi near the Red Fort. It is full of fabulous trim shops.

There are just too many choices.

Field Trip To Cazenovia with Friends

2011-06-22T21:55:00.023-04:00

On Tuesday I ventured out with friends for a day of quilt viewing, shopping and lunching between home and Cazenovia.

We started the day at the first location of the Art Quilt Exoerience at the Stone Quarry .

Only half the quilts were located here. The rest were at another location in Cazenovia.

One of my favorites. It was 3d.

My other favorite. The shading and stitching was wonderful.

This was also a stunning quilt.

After lunch we headed out to the second location at Cazenovia College. Unfortunately the quilts are hung in a very small narrow area which made it difficult to view them from a distance.

I always like Elizabeth Barton's quilts.

This was probably my favorite in the whole show.

Then it was on to the RAFA exhibit at the library. Again it was hung in a very narrow this time dark space

Of course we found time to visit two quilt shops and a few other interesting shops on our route.

Priscilla Kibbee

Butterfly Jacket Class Finished Jacket

The Children of Guatemala are Starving

December E.A.T. Meeting

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Christmas in Wolcott, Part 2

Christmas 2011 in Wolcott, Part 1

Truck Spills 40,000 Pounds Of Ice Cream, Freezes Indiana Traffic

Pat Pauly's Annual Christmas Party

Trip to Guatemala Part Four- Last Days in Panajachel

Trip to Guatemala Part 3- Parade in Panajachel

Trip To Guatemala Part Two, Chichicastenango Market

A Week in Panajachel, Guatemala

Why Not Sponsor a Guatemalan Student?

Free Beading Tutorials by Nancy Eha

Quilts of India

The Sewing Project - Panajachel

Butterfly Jacket Class in Ithaca

Another Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Where Have All the Kathmandu Quiltmakers Gone?

Thanksgiving in Wolcott

Wonderful Weekend at Casowasco

Christmas Tamale Baskets for Guatemala

Butterfly Jacket Class with the Weaving Guild

Workshop with Gloria Loughman, Part 2

Workshop with Gloria Loughman, Part 1

Quilts for Kids in Kathmandu Nepal

Schweinfurth Opening- Quilts=Art=Quilts

Ithaca New York Quilt Show - Part 2

Ithaca New York Quilt Show - Part One

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Bog Coat Workshop at Quilter's Corner's - Ithaca

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Bangkok

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Train from Nong Khai to Bangkok

Trip to Thailand & Laos-Laos

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Chiang Mai

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 7

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 6

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 5

Trip to Thailand & Laos, Nan Part 4

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 3

Trip to Thailand & Laos- Nan Part 2

Debora at Mayan Families

Trip to Thailand & Laos, Nan - Part 1

Trip to Thailand and Laos ---Bangkok

Schweinfurth Art Show- Quilts=Art=Quilts 2011

My Next Car

It's Time to Plan Another Trip to Thailand & Laos

September RAFA Meeting in Rochester

Seminole Class at the Bobbin Case in Rochester

Yikes! The Flamingo Flock has Moved!!!!!

Escape to a New Life - Smaller Version

Hmong Quilt for Sale, Escape to a New Life

Last Day with Beth for Awhile at Marcia's Studio

Yikes! The Plastic Pink Flamingos are Coming!!!!!!!

The Road Not Taken

Sunday at Dempster Grove Campground

Quilt Show at Patricia's Fabric Store-Rochester, N.Y.

The Amish are Coming! The Amish are Coming!

Another Great Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Jazz And Wine Festival in Beautiful Downtown Wolcott

Yikes! It Gets Worse- Cleaning the Sewing Room!

Yikes! Its Clean Up-Throw Out Time!!!!!!!

Quilting By the Lake-Week 2

Quilting by the Lake- Week 1, Katie Masopust

Yet Another Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Evening Critique Session at Marcia's Studio

A Few More Sewing Days at Marcia's Studio

Pat Pauly's Opening Night at the Nazareth College Art Gallery

Mayan Families in Panajachel, Guatemala

Carmen's Trip to Tierra Linda.Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Butterfly Jacket Class at the Bobbin Case

Trip to India & Nepal- The Trip Ends in Delhi

Trip to India & Nepal - More Delhi Shopping

Trip to India & Nepal- New Delhi- Kinari Bazaar

Trip to India & Nepal, New Delhi...the Last Stop

Field Trip To Cazenovia with Friends

Carmen's Trip to Tierra Linda.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011