Travel

Chicago Shopping

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Yesterday, we had some time to stroll about window shopping after taking a great tour, which included at stop at the National Mexican Art Myseum in Pilsen.   

http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org

Following the planned tour, I had hoped we’d find time to visit a quilt shop that I had found online prior to our trip from Colorado to Chicago, called the Needle Shop.    

  The Needle Shop

http://www.theneedleshop.net  

     

It’s not your basic quilt store, but a super artistic sewing and quilting space.   The fabrics were carefully selected, and included some independent fabric designers, mixed in with the likes of Alexander Henry and Robert Kauffman.    It’s really unique the way they transfer the fabric from standard flat bolts to a very cool wall of rolled bolts.  The fabrics are so easy to shop, and if you see something you like, they just unclip it and cut what you need.  

They also had heavier weight fabrics, buttons, zippers, and had specialty hardware tucked away smartly in cute little filing drawers.  

An impressive selection of books covered many sewing techniques.   

Rachel was very helpful with my selections, and I had a great time meeting her.  She also told us to go around the corner just a short distance to the Second City Quilt Company.  

   
Second City Quilt Company.   http://www.secondcityquiltco.com. 

   
After a bit of a walk, we found this cute little slice of a store.   They carry some of the more mainstream fabrics by modern designers.   The woman, or shall I call her a dynamo, Gabi was a total hoot.  We had a great time hearing her stories, and telling her ours.   She told us she’s turning 70 shortly.   I hope she doesn’t mind I said that.   This lady is so energetic.   I can see why this shop, less than a year old, is so popular.   

All in all, it was a great afternoon spent pawing over fabric, and being inspired.   I tried to limit myself from purchasing too much, as I’m still whittling away at my existing stash.    I did reward myself just a little bit.   

This is the first time I’ve been to Chicago for any length of time, and I can tell you, it won’t be the last. 

I hope you’ve had an equally thrilling week, and have been inspired by this little glimpse into my world.  

Happy quilting!

FellowQuilter,

Brian

Quilts of the Plains 2015 Photos are posted!

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QOTP_2015__0317b copyHello everyone.  I’ve had a great, albeit very busy, week in Wray, Colorado.  With the help of many people, and many area businesses, we pulled off the 16th Annual Quilts of the Plains outdoor quilt show, this past Saturday, June 27, 2015.

We had a great array of wonderful quilts entered into the show, including many from far, far away.  Our Viewer’s selected a lovely quilt by Valerie from Dove Creek, Colorado.  They also awarded a total of 8 ribbons for the best in category voting.  I’ve uploaded a photo gallery of all of the quilts.  I think they all are winning quilts.  Mixed in, you will also see some street and sidewalk shots.  Perhaps, I caught you looking at the beautiful quilts, or driving down the street.  You’ll see the kind of businesses that line our streets, and help to make Wray such a wonderful place to live, work, shop, or even visit.

Of course, photos never do full justice of an event like this.  I do hope it’s a useful resource though, for quilters who entered or viewed the show, as well as a shameless promotion of our town, our people, and our humble little quilt show on the plains in Colorado.  I hope it makes you want to be a part of it in the future.

Have fun looking through the gallery.  I’ve made smaller versions of the photos, so it will load quickly on your computer, phone or tablet with ease.  If you have a need for a more detailed image, I can provide that on a request basis for you.

Thanks for supporting quilting in Wray, and for your continued interest in my life, art and blog.  I’d really appreciate if you could share this with others, and leave a comment when you stop by the blog.  It really adds a richness to the place.

I hope you have been inspired, and this will manifest in your creative life, whatever that may be.

Happy Quilting & Quilt Viewing,

Fellow Quilter,

Brian Clements

Christmastime in Nebraska

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Hello everyone.

This past weekend, we tripped to see my family in Central Nebraska.  I thought I’d share a couple of photos with you, of some of the traditional sites that we stop to see.

On Saturday, we stopped in Minden, Nebraska.

Minden Courthouse 2014b 4x6Minden has been dubbed the Christmas City.  Even when I was a kid, we would usually take a trip there to see the lights, and sometimes catch the Christmas pageant.

Minden Courthouse 2014a 4x7

On the way home, Sunday, we stopped at our good friends, the Corey’s.  They were instrumental in helping us get our computerized light show up and running several years ago.  We stop and see them every year, and they always invite us in for some home-made goodies.  This year it was Rosemary’s delicious pizzelle cookies.  Yummy!!!

Corey Christmas Lights 2014a 4x6

If you’d like to check out their display, it runs until New Years Eve.  Shows last about 15 minutes and keep repeating all evening long.  Their farm is located east of Culbertson, Nebraska on U.S. Highway 6&34 and one-quarter mile north on County Road 376.

We had a really nice visit with most of my family.  Lots of chatting, eating and fun…  My Mom showed me some of her quilt projects recently finished and also in progress.

My brother showed me a barn quilt that he’s working on, but more about that in a future post.

Have a creative day!

Fellow Quilter,

Brian

Stop

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Hello everyone.  Here is my entry for “Moment”.  The assignment… to capture a moment, and enhance the photo with blur or motion.  I think the photo is pretty cool.  I am pleased with the location, which is the auto parts store along the highway in our town.  I did enhance the color vibrance with photoshop a bit to give it an ethereal vibe.

auto stop wp_1024Have a creative day!

Fellow Quilter,

Brian

 

Warmth

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Hello everyone.  Today’s photo blogging assignment was warmth.  Yeah, right!!!  We have been breaking record low temperatures here in Colorado from over 100 years ago.  But… I could have done the obvious, shown you some quilts.  However, the assignment parameters were to use the sun as a light source.

cutty sark warmth

I love the way the sun comes in through the shutters in our library.  I decided to warm up with some scotch whiskey.  Well, I will later, after work…  A nearby Scotland travel book and a large volume of “Thoughts” was a great pedestal, to get my glass positioned in the sunlight just how I envisioned.  You can’t really move the sun, you know.  I just love the way the glass of scotch is the shining focal point of this image.  Everything else is a supporting player.

The lamp and the small orchid plant filled the corners of the shot, and I think it came out pretty nice.  Let me know what you think.  Or what you drink, if you’re so inclined.  I’m actually more of a Gin connoisseur myself.  The old bottle of scotch was a gift from a recently departed friend.  I don’t think she was a scotch drinker either, because the bottle is super old.

Well, enough for now.  I hope you can enjoy some warmth for yourself.

From Freezing Colorado,

Fellow Quilter,

Brian

Flirtation Point

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Hello everyone.  Today’s photo assignment was “Landmark”.  I considered a few ideas, but Flirtation Point is perhaps the major landmark here.  In fact, you’ll find the rock formation on old postcards from the very beginning of photography.

I decided to give you two views.  I drove around town capturing it from about ten different vantage points.  It’s a very cold day, and it will probably snow tonight, so we are lucky to have this image of the fading fall colors blanketing the town.

For the first view, it’s looking at the backside, if you’re speaking relative to the town.  The three crosses on the top were put there by the Wray Ministerial Alliance some years ago.  The smaller monument is a Masonic marker.

flirtation point from the back

The second image will show you the view once you go on top of Flirtation Point.  The city looks so great laid out before your eyes.  I’ll tell you… it was cold standing up there today!  I hope the photo conveys that feeling.

view from flirtation point

Enjoy the view, and have a creative day!

Fellow Quilter,

Brian

Solitude

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Oregon Coast July 2014
Oregon Coast July 2014

Today’s photo blogging assignment is “Solitude”.  I love this photo that I took this summer of my husband, Joe.  He loves being by the ocean… and I love getting photos of him looking out to sea.

Enjoy some solitude.  I will be sewing some more blocks today.  As you know, that is my solitude.

Happy quilting,

Fellow Quilter,

Brian

Some Sunday Inspiration & The Yuma County Fair

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July_2014_Wedding_Vacation_Brian_0489 July_2014_Wedding_Vacation_Brian_0490 July_2014_Wedding_Vacation_Brian_0491

 

Recently, Joe and I took a road trip in the Pacific Northwest.  I thought I’d share a couple pictures from the Old Morris Tobacco Shop in Victoria, British Columbia.  I really loved the old tile floors, so I had to snap a couple of shots, so that I’d remember them.

Also… the marble light pole in the middle of the room is an antique Italian marble floor lighter.  Yes, it still works.  They told us it is one of only two in the world.

A great shop… lots of manly inspiration here.  Maybe someday, these inspirations will wind up in a project.  Who knows?

Their website is Old Morris Tobacconist Ltd

Also, today is the day that I’ll be entering my newest quilt into the Yuma County Fair.  It’s a strippy quilt that features a vintage French fabric that Joe purchased for me at a show many years ago.  I knew it was destined to become something very special.  I followed the quilt project, as it spoke to me and told me what to design next.  It really was a labor of love.

I digitized some special quilting motifs for the borders.  I think it turned out really well.  The quilt just returned from Seattle, where it was displayed at our wedding two weeks ago.  I hope you enjoy the pictures,2013-03-21 10.46.45 2013-03-21 10.47.03 2014-01-13 10.40.28 2014-01-13 10.41.06

Happy Quilting,

Fellow Quilter,

Brian