Home Again and a Quilt Show

We've been home from our vacation for 12 days, and only today do I feel my back-in-the-saddle equilibrium.    Inverness was a wonderful break, mentally and physically refreshing, but I'm glad to be home. 

Finally.

For the first week, I thought, why in the hell do we live HERE?  We have no big vista, no dozens of spectacular nearby trails, no un-smoggy air.  Plus traffic.  Nuts.

 Water view from Elisabeth's house

 Water view from our house

Our house felt so boxy and uptight when we got back. I wanted to take out all the walls downstairs.

Me:  Let's knock down all walls!

Jerry:  What will hold up the house?

Me:  Steel beams or something.

Jerry: 

Now I'm used to the house again--having neighbors' houses on both sides and  a closed-off kitchen.  Most of all, I'm reveling in my community of friends.  That's what I really miss when we stay in West Marin.

* * * * *

A quilt show at the Oakland Museum revived me yesterday:

All 20 quilts are part of Eli Leon's collection.   An Oaklander, he got interested in collecting quilts when he was foraging for "green things" at local flea markets (see below). I'd seen many of the quilts in other shows and in books, but they are worth a second (or fourth) viewing.

Chair with embroidery and applique, Rosie Lee Tompkins, mixed media

Four Patch Half Square Strip, Rosie Lee Tompkins, rayon, synthetic cotton, and mixed fabrics, 1994

Mamaloo, Arbie Williams, cotton, synthetic, and metal

Double Strip, Mattie Pickett, cotton and synthetic fabrics

Double Medallion, Sherry Byrd, cotton, synthetic, and mixed fibers

Brass Buttons, Arbie Williams, cotton and synthetic fibers

Part of Eli Leon's extensive "green collection." 

Checker Board Green and Black, Rosie Lee Tompkins, 1990

For the love of green:  even the gallery stools

Yo-Yos & Half Squares: Contemporary California Quilts, Oakland Museum of California, September 1, 2015-February 21, 2016.  Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.