Catawba Spider Lily

Yesterday I took a road trip with my photography club to upstate South Carolina to view the Rocky Shoal Spider Lillies in bloom.

It is a really pretty park.  Would like to go back in the late afternoon so the sun may be better positioned to photograph the flowers.  Not happy with my shots...

however there was a lot of fun things to photograph...like frogs (toad?)

spiders...real spiders

and this good sized rat snake that surprised me on the trail (lets just say snakes should not be in trees...my rule!)

So how does this fit with quilting?  I loved the shape of the spider lilly!  I have drafted a string block based on the flower and plant to stitch one up tonight!

It is fun when I can merge the two hobbies...like knowing how to remove stains from quilts and from the slacks after a photo shoot!

Sibley Textile Mill revisited

Ever since I visited Sibley Mill, a textile mill here in Augusta Georgia that closed about 30 years ago, I searched for a quilt made locally that could have scraps from the mill.

Denim backed quilt on the front steps of Sibley Mill

I just may have found it...but may may be as close as I'll come!  I bought this at an estate sale.  Yes, she was a quilter.  Yes, she lived near the mill.  Yes, family remembers it being in her house.  Here is the kicker...no one remembers her working on this quilt and women in her church were known to trade or gift quilts often.

So for the meanwhile this will remain just a "southern quilt circa 1970, likely made in the Augusta area."

adjacent to the dye room

I did get a chance to go inside the Mill and do a bit of photography.  The building is pretty much empty except for a hydroelectric power plant.

abandoned spools of thread in the dye room

Interesting place though the 100 degree heat at 9 in the morning was a bit tough to take!

and I ended it by lugging a really heavy quilt around to get photos...just a bit crazed!

So I have now have loads of post processing to do...translated to messing about in editing programs with raw photo files.  The down side is that heat kicked my optic neuritis into play and so I don't have the best color vision...the files will have to stay on the back burner for now.  Good thing I have a large library of BBC mysteries to keep me occupied!

A moment to reflect...

Lots of discussion happening here in the American South about race.

What happened last week is horrible.  What has happened the past few days in Charleston restores my faith that all people can live together.

These photos are from a church here in Augusta that may be torn down later this year.

The small building was put up by slaves prior to the civil war.  They pooled their savings to buy the freedom of a literate black man to serve as their pastor.

This a painful part of our history.  A part we shouldn't forget.

The large building was put up around 1875...to me it shows how much progress the black community made in this area in less than 50 years.  I hate to think we would lose this.

The inside of the building is in poor shape...

partly from no maintenance being done (one of our photographers fell through the balcony floor!  She was bruised and shaken but ok...)

and partly from vandals or folks camping out here.

We were out there photographing for a local museum so the church could be documented before it disappears...

JenksGarden

This Saturday I was lucky enough to visit Augustus Jenkins Farmer's family farm and gardens in South Carolina.

He is the author of "Deep-Rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories from Generations of Gardeners.  At the farm he is promoting the resurgence of the crinum lilly.

His approach to gardening is very organic but in a southern way.  Lots of natural materials to make the support structures, bee hives, found "yard art."

It was a wonderful place to photograph.

a blue and silver bottle tree...

He, his Mom and the folks working there were so helpful.

One of my biggest surprises was finding out I really loved lemon and fig shaved ice.  Of course it was 95 degrees plus by 9:00 in the morning so I think almost any shaved ice would have been wonderful!

This has been a crazy week so today I am trying to take it easy...I have one quilt soaking in the tub (couldn't wait for better quilt washing weather...this one needed a bath now!)  And while wait through the 20 minute cycle of changing really dirty water I continue to work on bindings for the quilts for the VA...just one more to go!!!

Did learn something wonderful though...the bright quilt that is being washed right now also has some denim in it!  (the dark blue cornerstones...)  So it fits well with the other quilts I bought from the estate last week!

Aunt Tiques and Uncle Junk

A few weeks ago I was send some info on facebook about an antique/junk store that is only about 20 minutes away from me.

I've had a bad cold for the past few days and have been feeling like I just needed to get out of the house (heated seats don't hurt either!"  So we did a quick run down to Aunt Tiques and Uncle Junk in Thomson, GA.

For any of you familiar with Tonya Rucucci (Unrully Quilter)....this is her type of place.  Lots of southern folk and outsider art.  This includes utensil sculptures, bottle trees, and chicken paintings.

There were a few quilts and I was tempted by a circa 1900 bowtie quilt but condition was against it...though as a folded piece it is nice.  I did bring home a little red drop leaf end table

perfect for next to my quilting chair!  There were also several nice pie chests...would be good for storing quilts...

May need to do another trip when I am feeling better...