Sailing and boatbuilding - the original subjects of this blog - are now the subjects of the new Petaluma River Heritage Center near the D Street bridge. Housed in an erstwhile livery stable, the new center opened its doors to the public last Sunday. Inside, visitors admired a traditional wooden sailing craft. Outside, children practiced [...]
Denise Ragozzini has been making quilts for years, but she always gives them away. For once, she decided to make one for herself. Inspired by a "Snail's Trail" quilt that hangs in my studio, Denise designed the one pictured here for her "TV lap quilt," as she calls it.The Snail's Trail quilt block has a [...]
Here are some photos from the quilt assessment session with Pamela Weeks. In the pictures, you can see the double pinks and the poison greens, so called because the dyes contained cyanide. The red fabrics contained a dye called madder."Madder than what?" you may wonder. Well, madder than a wet hen because of all the [...]
"There are no coincidences," asserts Pamela Weeks of Durham, New Hampshire. So it seemed as a chain of events unfolded for Roberta Paskos over the last few weeks. Roberta, who recently moved to Petaluma from Bodega, called me regarding an antique quilt she owns. "It's been in my family since the 1800's," she said. "It [...]
Chemotherapy is no picnic, as Lorraine Sevilla learned. Not only does it make you feel and look horrible, but it messes with your mind."The medical people call it 'chemo-brain,'" Lorraine said, "but I call it my pea-brain." An experienced quilter who has made dozens of quilts over the decades, Lorraine made the quilt pictured here [...]
You've probably heard of Dalmatians, and perhaps you've heard of Dalmatian Rescue, but you've probably never heard of Dalmatian Quilt Rescue -- mainly because it never existed until this week. Linda Reid of Santa Rosa owns two Dalmatians, and every year she donates a quilt to the Dalmatian Club of America for its fundraiser. This [...]
Joe Cunningham's program was funny, fresh (as in original), and hugely entertaining. A hundred people crowded into the Petaluma Historical Museum last Sunday to see the musical program "Joe the Quilter" and admire the antique quilts that we hung for decoration. Do you like to look at those "Where's Waldo" pictures? Here's one for you: [...]
At age 54, Gale Overstreet of Clear Lake had never attempted to sew a quilt, even though her mother and sisters had always been avid quilters. She thought she lacked the ability to create such a thing. Her troubled life had included addictions that eventually lead to liver disease. Following a stay in the hospital, [...]
If you are looking for free entertainment, don't miss the musical event at the Petaluma Historical Museum this weekend. Joe Cunningham of San Francisco, an accomplished guitarist as well as a professional quilter, will perform "Joe the Quilter," an original program that he composed and will perform at 3 pm this Sunday, March 15. A [...]
Emily Robertson of Petaluma works in the apparel industry, and for her job she travels extensively. On one particular trip, she attended a quilt show where a vendor was selling jackets made from antique quilts. She bought one, loved it, wore it often, and decided to make her own. Now in her travels, Emily visits [...]