Shopping

Is not the same without Nona Luculescu. But I did manage to buy walking shoes ansd sandals in a store filled with glamorous foot apparel.

And saw some bedding for Linda M.

Jo's plane from Miami was delayed by a storm so I almost finished my Red, White and Blue entry for the Guild's Open Day. Somehow I managed to twist the cast on . . . . twice!

But, fortuitously, it works. I have 3 yards of yarn left and a neckline filler or headband. I will probably use the left over yarn in a cat hat.

Waterford

Drive the freeway fast into the past. The way back to now is bumpy.

My Tomtom whisked me to Waterford today on freeways that did not exist when we lived here. New suburbs, business centres and shopping malls now cover the fields wher the main crop was hay. Leesburg has a busy airport! But, thanks to the Waterford Foundation, I suspect, the village of Waterford has not changed. No new McMansions are allowed. 

Wee cottage

I spent a happy hour revisiting all the buildings where the Waterford Weavers have set up shop during the Fair and was inspired with ideas for Ewan's quilt for our "Off the Beaten Track" show.

Quilted barn

Waterford itself was literally off the track. It was settled in the 1700s by, mainly, Quaker folk and was very prosperous. Along came the Civil War and the Quakers sided with the North much to the disgust of the Virginians. (The West Virginians fought with the unionists too.) So, after the war, the locals remembered and routed the railway through Leesburg, not through Waterford and Waterford faded into obscurity until the expansionist 1970's when Northern Virginia became a service economy hub of wealthy commuters who wanted a house in the country. 

The school where the WWG was born

Rocketing to stardom

I walked in Nottoway Park early this mild morning. There was a few gardeners tending their plots, a group of old men playing tennis madly and a dog walker. Otherwise empty compared to Avalon at the same time of day. I think everybody was sleeping in.

The rocket in this plot was 5 feet tall:

Some folk grow strange combinations, like these red currents and opium poppies:

My prize for the neatest was the cabbage wraps:

The Waterford Weavers meeting was very good. They cooperate because there are so few to do the jobs that need to be done. Of the dozen or so members there, almost half were members when I was and I know another four from other groups or since then. And there was a potential new member. I had
such a good time catching up that I forgot to take photos.

11 hour drive

Grey ribbon freeways flow and explode, Medusa-like at the Beltway.

I drove from Georgia to Virginia on freeways that varied from 2 to 6 lanes in both directions. It is amazing how much wider all the roads have become since we left. And there are spectacular spaghetti junctions! I would hate to be a new driver on these roads. The speed limit is 55 but everybody drove at over 65 mph as soon as they got near Washington.

Sad to leave Linda but I will return (for more raspberries.)

Alpaca farm

We visited a student of Linda's who has learned to spin and weave while taking up farming alpaca, chickens, dogs and cats.

CHG exhibition

We went to the opening of the Chattahoochee Guild's 60th anniversary show this evening. Linda didn't get in because they opened entries to the world. She has won the show when it was just for members. They used an online company, Cafe, to organise the entries so that's the juror, a tapestry weaver, could choose 33 entries to hang. He chose ones that showed extreme technique. The winner was needle lace in wire of a series of images of her mother's hair dos suspended by those metal hair clips that were used for perms. 

There was a concurrent exhibition, mostly textile, that was by invitation and moved from the Atlanta airport. India Flint has a piece of yardage in it. This printed, pressed polyester was my favourite.

Interesting to meet with Linda's guild friends and see the works.

In Conyers, Georgia

Raspberries warm im the sun guarded by plastic snakes that deter blue birds.

I drove down from the mountains of North Carolina to the flat planes of South Carolina to see an exhibition in Greenville. The were many 12 x 12 ins works, mostly painted, one woven, by regional artists. And a great, full colour, 20 double sided A4 page catalogue that they gave away for free. I'll have to find out how they do that!

Arrived at Linda Jarret's in time for lunch. We didn't stop talking until bedtime.