At the 2007 AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, George Sicilano of Lebanon, Penn., won third place in the miniature quilt division sponsored by Benartex. I met him on Saturday, April 28 and had a chance to ask about his quilt, "Small Medium at Large."
The name comes from the story of a psychic who was jailed on a charge of attempting to blow up a barge. Less than five feet in height, he escaped jail one night. The headlines the next day said, "Small Medium at Large."
The quilt measures 7 3/4 inches square and was foundation pieced and machine quilted.
See a larger photo of the quilt by clicking here.
Sicilano tells me he keeps 245 bolts, each a different color, in his studio at all times. He used about 40 of them in this piece, to get the subtle gradations of color. However, there are about 2,050 pieces of fabric in this one quilt.
I asked how long it took to make this particular piece and he said he knew exactly how long it took. He said, "I finished my competition piece for this year and wasn't happy with it." So, he designed this one and started working on it with a very tight deadline. He worked for three and a half weeks, every day, from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. the next morning.
It was really impossible to get good photos of the miniature quilts. They had them displayed in glass cases and the light reflection was horrible.
The Benartex Best of Show was won by Sally Collins of Walnut Creek, Calif. She made this quilt with no foundation. It is hand and machine quilted.
(Sorry - Photo removed at request of AQS)
The First Place winner was by Judy Spiers of Foxworth, Miss. Her quilt is called "Carnivale" and has bright colors and intricate hand and machine piecing in the original design. It is made from 4,640 individual pieces and is machine quilted.
(Sorry - Photo removed at request of AQS)
The Second Place winner was Pat Holly of Muskegon, Mich. Called "Tapestree," it was inspired by antique embroideries. It is embellished with decorative stitches and store-bought trims. It is machine stitched raw-edged applique and machine quilted.
(Sorry - Photo removed at request of AQS)
The Honorable mention winner was Connie Chun of Webster Groves, Mo. Called "Mary's Harvest," the original design was made in the medallion style with hand and reverse applique, machine paper piecing, and finished with hand quilting.
(Sorry - Photo removed at request of AQS)
Monday, May 07, 2007
AQS 2007 Miniature Quilt George Sicilano
Greensburg Tornado Update
People were allowed back in today, but the NE quadrant has been evacuated again due to a leak of anhydrous ammonia.
There's word that President Bush may come to Greensburg later this week but it's not confirmed.
In other news, much of the state is flooded - especially hard hit are Topeka and Rice County.
Update: Bush will be in Greensburg on Wednesday.
Quote of the Day
I cannot recommend strongly enough a trip to Muir Woods north of San Francisco. Go early and you can enter before they officially open. I was fortunate enough to be alone there for some hours a couple of years ago when I visited. Talk about spiritual experiences - wandering around alone in Muir Woods is one of them.
Blog Advertising - Full Disclosure
I believe in full disclosure so want to state for the record that Patsy's Ponderings is not for sale to people who want me to promote their product, service, etc. and pretend it's content. When I talk about something on here that I like, or an experience I've had, it's all true - not because I'm being paid to say it.
The only paid advertising on Patsy's Ponderings are the google ad bars that are labeled quite clearly as advertising. If you see something of interest, help yourself by clicking- if you don't, ignore them. I am impressed that google matches the ads to content so well, but I am not a "blog-whore." I don't mind advertising, but I don't like advertising that's made to look like content. That's just wrong and such things will be the undoing of the whole "citizen journalist" concept blogs have grown into. There's a reason advertising in magazines and newspapers designed to look like content is labeled as advertising. Look closely and you'll see the little word "advertisement" there.
Now, all that said, if someone wants to buy ad space on my blog - I'm open to it - and I may well blog about my good fortune, giving you more publicity. But it will have to look like advertising. I'm not going put advertising into my blog that is masquerading as content. What I write here is just what I'm writing about and I try to be very honest about it if someone gives me a perk, like when Greg and I rode Union Pacific's Steam Engine 844 and I explained how we came to be on that train or when I did a review of Ten Zen Seconds and told you why I did that.
This blog is opinion, not reporting, in general, but I maintain basic journalistic standards. To not do so would be a dishonor to the journalism degree I worked for - and I did work for it with a lot of effort, lost sleep and doing things like wading through chemical spills "paying my dues" as a young reporter.
I was reminded this past weekend just how many holes there are in our massive media web when my coverage of the Greensburg tornado, which I was just getting from local media, was picked up by national media companies. I give the average reader credit that if my blog were just one advertising thing after another they would ignore it as tripe. Patsy's Ponderings is just about Patsy's life - if someone wants to pay me to live my life and write about it here, please contact me - I dream of making a living being me - and we'll find a way to make it work. But I'm worth more than a penny for every 1000 words.
I hope I don't break my ankle getting down off my soapbox...
Happy News
It is time for some happy news on this blog. This weekend was to be a delightful time with friends visitng, the annual art fair, tea, and other such happy surprises. Those things still happened, but all of Kansas is grieving with the people of Greensburg, knowing that it could be any other town at any time.
But, I decided to post some happy news nonetheless.
Saturday was the annual art fair in Hutchinson, They are in their 43rd year. I got to see a number of friends who were exhibiting - Jocelyn, Jeanette and Pat were all there. Greg's girlfriend, Mia, came from Joplin to do the show. I also ran into a number of people I know who were shopping. However, I didn't go until the afternoon - after Mark and I made a run to Roy's - and officials closed it down because they expected bad weather.
Mia was selling her jewelry - she does beautiful pieces and this is one of her latest. I am honored to have a bracelet she made for me and I get compliements on it every time I wear it. This blue slag glass is something Diana and I picked up in Arkansas and this looks so pretty on it that I loaned it to Mia for future shows.
Kim Setty, the Channel 12 noon anchor, spoke and did a wonderful presentation. Considering she had been called into work about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday because of the storms, and had worked until midnight, she was looking and sounding very good.
It was more of a "program" than it was a "tea," but it was pleasant and I greatly appreciated Juanita getting tickets for us although I felt bad Greg didn't get to stay. That was just a communication difficulty.
They had some girls from the church do a maypole and that was fun.
And, finally, in other good news... I've mentioned my great nephew, BC, on the blog before. Saturday night was his junior prom. Mary Ann sent me some photos today and I thought I'd share. His girlfriend, Kaitlyn, is a real sweetheart. They go to different high schools and next weekend is her prom so they get to get all dressed up again. Maybe I'll get more photos to share.
A Family Story From Greensburg
I asked his permission to share his email here and he graciously agreed and even sent along a photo. I think it makes the story personal, and gives a different perspective than what traditional media is providing.
Stan says, The photo is of me and my wife, Carolyn, Dad and his wife, Forrest Lee. We were celebrating dad's 99th birthday the weekend of Feburary 25, 2007 in the Best Western J Hawk motel in Greensburg which is rubble now. Forrest Lee is a classy lady and few people think dad looks to be in his 100th year.
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Hi Patsy, I came across your blog when I was searching for my dad and step mom who were in the Carriage House in Greensburg. Please forgive me that this is so long, but I thought there might be some interest. I and/or my family have a lot of history in Greensburg, Mullinville, Minneola, and Hutchinson.
I was assigned to the Hadley Memorial Methodist Church in the south part of Hutchinson. It was literally a church across the tracks. We were there two years. The church closed a few years later. It is on F street as I recall. I usually go by when I go through Hutchinson which isn't very often.
I loved Hutchinson, the friendly people, the kind people. Elmo and Alma Pierson were in our church. He's been gone a long time. We stopped to see her on our last visit. They were always kind to us. I was interested in Christian literature so worked for the Wesleyan Publishing House here in Marion, Indiana until the end of 1968.
We than went to Burundi, Africa as missionaries in August 1968 with World Gospel Mission, headquartered here in Marion, Indiana. We served in Africa for 13 years and for 24 years I worked in the home office of the mission here in Marion. In January 2005 I retired from World Gospel Mission.
Just two years ago, 5-05-05 (May 5, 2005) I was asked to return to the mission and work part time. It was what I had done my last two years before retirement. I work about 20 hours a week. I love it, can set my own schedule and the missionaries appreciate what I do. It was October 1981 we returned to the states to live.
My mother got a brain tumor and was in Wesley Hospital in Wichita. The doctors told dad they opened her up but the tumor was too big and too far inside, they just sewed her up. A few days later I rode with mom in the back of the ambulance to Dodge City which was just 20 miles from Minneola where Dad lived. She couldn't communicate. She died in September 1983 several weeks later, just a month shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Instead of celebrating 50 wedded years in her new dress she'd bought she was buried in it to celebrate forever in heaven with Jesus Himself.
Dad knew Forrest Lee Einsel and got to know her better. She lived in a big farm house just southwest of the town of Greensburg. It is separated from the town maybe by one half mile or so.In July 1985, I was honored when I married my dad to Forrest Lee (she goes by both names) in that big house.
Regarding Forrest Lee, was married to Charlie Einsel before she married dad. Charlie was 63 and she was 23 when they married. That's like getting married to your granddaughter. After being married for 30 years he was up on a roof and fell off as I recall and died. What was a 93 year old doing up there? Several years later she met and married dad. He's 15 years older and they have been married almost 22 years. She really does like older men. :)
A year or so after Dad and Forrest Lee married, Dad had a farm sale in Minneola. I have two brothers and we all helped him with it. Dad always loved the farm and wide open spaces. He loved Greensburg and was active in the Methodist church in Greensburg and some community efforts until his health prevented it and his age. Eventually Forrest Lee moved to the Carriage House in Greensburg. She wanted Dad to go too. But he couldn't live in a small room. He liked the wide open spaces.
Greensburg is almost like a second home to me. For longer than I can remember we had family reunions at the world’s largest hand dug well. And I’ve had different relatives who have lived there during the last 50 or more years. It was very interesting to me when my dad moved to Greensburg with his new bride in July 1985. His sister and her family had lived in Greensburg, my aunt had lived there and my grandma and great grandma.
As you wrote about in your blog. Greensburg is now multiple piles of rubble. I was glued to the TV all day Saturday with unbelief in seeing what I was seeing.
The end of February my two brothers and some of their families and my wife and I were in Greensburg at the motel that was on the west side and north side of Greensburg, across from the John Deere place as I recall. We were celebrating Dad's 99th birthday.
Two weeks ago dad finally moved to the Carriage House nursing home in Greensburg . Last Friday night as the tornado did its damage in just a few minutes hardly anyone in the nursing home knew anything had happened.
Dad and another man did not go to the basement. They stayed on the main floor in their rooms I guess. Dad is hard of hearing, never knew what happened when it did. Forrest Lee was in the basement, the people there didn't hear either.
The Carriage House is only one of a few places that still stands after the storm with only a missing roof and some broken windows. As you know, the schools, the churches, the city hall, the bank, the John Deere dealer, the motels, they are gone. But still all of the residents needed to be evacuated to a safer place.
Originally dad and Forrest Lee were going to Mullinville to stay with her niece. But when she came to get them the authorities wouldn't let her in to get them (Isn't this interesting, they were being evacuated but she couldn't get them maybe she didn't look official enough).
Searching the internet and making calls, finally last evening (Saturday) I found that dad and mom had been moved to Augusta, Kansas to the Lake Point Carriage House. Five others from Greensburg are also there. They don't have phones in their rooms, but the workers go find them so we can talk. Isn't this great? So early this afternoon I talked to Dad and we had a friend from Wichita who went out to visit them this morning. They had left Greensburg with the minimum of things needed. He was able to get some things for them.
Physically they appear great, Praise the Lord. Emotionally it has been a traumatic event. It's interesting they only have a bed in their rooms, not even a chair. They each have a room. Forrest Lee didn't even have a change of clothes. My friend went and got her two sets of clothes. He is a great friend and is going to see them again tomorrow and plans to go to Greensburg to get their clothes and personal things if he can get permission.
They have no idea what the future holds, but as we’ve often heard or said, we know who holds the future. I know they would appreciate your prayers on their behalf. It is not easy for a 99 year old and an 84 year old couple whose lives have been so turned upside down in just moments of time and they are moved into a new community where they know almost no one.
I am so glad we can share our burdens as well as our joys with a great family of fellow believers.