Day 14 Leaving Houston and arriving in Savannah

Day 14 Leaving Houston

Terrible night of sleeping and snoozing, then woken at  5 because the next door neighbours were leaving.

After breakfast started packing. I had parcels to send back and needed to go to the post office. A different manager told me about a much closer one. Still hard to find and still expensive. While I was there I met Karen Styles and her husband sending off supplies for a customer.

Back to the hotel to finish packing and make my lunch. I had a cup of tea in the foyer then caught an Uber to the airport.

I’d done my check in on line last night- tricky when the computer you are using has no @ key! Made “send to my email address” slightly impossible. A United airline lady helped me with the bag tag. Then checked the bag in, 45 lbs. Internal flights have only one bag allowed (and you still have to pay for the privilege. Up to 50lbs is $25.  If the bag weighs more than 50 lbs you pay $125 !

Through security with no issues- caught the monorail to terminal C to wait for my flight. I got a cup of reasonable tea and ate my lunch watching a Hugh Lawrie look alike. Finally called to go through to the gates. Only to walk along the corridor to the most distant gate and be told “go back, we don’t have a crew yet!” Me and another guy just walked back a few yards and sat and waited. Eventually a crew was “found” We boarded and because I was in the last row and there was no room in the overhead lockers, my bag went under the seat.

A sign at the airport- hardly appropriate.

A two hour flight but the sun was setting when we landed. What I didn’t know was I had to turn my watch forward one hour. Picked up my bag on the carrousel and waited for the Uber driver. He took only 9 minutes and we needed a few calls for him to work out where I was. No point asking me? I had no idea and just had to tell him what signs I could see around me.

He dropped me off at the Planter’s Inn at Reynolds Square. A gorgeous historic building right in the middle of historic buildings. Dumped my bags and went to find some dinner. GOOD LUCK. Every place I tried had a waiting list of at least 30 minutes. So I finally gave up and put my name down at Vic’s in the river area and then walked around to fill in the time.

Issue in Savannah: Very uneven pavements and poor lighting in some areas. I moved out of the way on the path for some other people and sure enough twisted my left ankle. Didn’t appear to be much damage other than a bit sore at the time.

I took photos as I walked along. The river front was just beautiful. The reflections were lovely.

Back up the path to the restaurant. The BEST brisket ever, GF, but a huge serving and I struggled to get through it all. Then I walked back, had a quick shower and bed at last. I needed a ladder to get up but once there it was a very quick time to the land of nod.

Day 13 Last day of Festival and Museum of Fine Arts

I'm struggling with anything tonight after just hearing of yet another shooting and this time two hours away in Texas. I met people from the San Antonio area during classes. It seems so horribly callous to choose people at a church as your victims. 

I was in a church, in Texas this morning. I came out and had a great day, but not these people nor their families.

There was a very strong police presence at the Quilt festival for public safety and security.

We had a wonderful sunrise this morning and one extra hour of sleep. Deb left at 7:30 to meet Jess and fly out to Paducah. Hopefully avoiding the predicted storms in Chicago.

After breakfast I went to mass at the nearby church. Let’s just say that this church is “possibly pre Vatican”?  However it was in English and it is a historic church and the stain glass windows were spectacular, but it was also the coldest church I have ever been in. The a/c was up full blast and I was right underneath. I only had the briefest of moments to snap a photo because they do back to back masses. One in /one out. 

Frozen In walked up to the GBCC for my last visit. Thankfully it was warm walking the short distance, because once inside I discovered the centre was having an “Arctic day”. All this was to punish me for foolishly only bringing my light cardigan on this trip. There were not many people inside, so I was able to find the ruler for Deb. I had a chat with Mary and Joe Koval.

I ate my lunch and had a cuppa at the centre, to warm up. Then I walked back to the hotel and dropped off all the non- essentials, including foolishly number 2 my "big" camera. I asked the very helpful hotel staff directions to the museums and was out the door again. I caught the train/ light rail up to the Museum district to the Museum of Fine Arts.  Oscar de la Renta exhibition.  Houston has so many museums and other interesting places to visit.

$1.25 for three hours on the train. Seriously why would you use anything else? So for $2.50 I went there and back! Side issues: some of the patrons appeared to have serious health issues, but they didn’t annoy me at all and the train had many other customers. It is quite confusing to know where to catch the trains because of the one way streets in the city.

I paid $20 concession for a general admission plus the Oscar De La Renta.  The fashion exhibition was just STUNNING. 70 beautiful garments. They also had a video which showed women wearing the different ensembles to various functions. 

Then I thought I would see what else was here, so I crossed over to the other building via underground tunnel.  A variety of smaller exhibitions over there, but some beautiful pieces. One amazing backdrop in the China section was created by gunpowder. Well worth seeing the video. Back to the first section for a cuppa- no GF in sight- before going upstairs and having my jaw hit the floor once again. The donated masterpieces they have in the Straus collection, once owned by the chairman of Macy & co stores, is beyond belief.  I was so glad I chose this option for this afternoon and that I bothered to go up the stairs. In 2020 there will be a new Museum combining all the works in one building.

 

Definitely money in Houston. But there ares also obvious signs of the very poor and marginalised of society.

Deb just wrote to say she had her Paducah -Chicago flight cancelled because of bad storms. So she is spending the night in Chicago. At least they had accommodation with Jess's auntie not like most travellers.

Issues posting tonight with internet dropout. I had to re connect. This hotel has had brilliant fast Wifi, which has made uploading so easy. 

Day 12 Class and finally time to catch up!

Woke at 7- how wonderful. There was fog covering the high buildings in the city and high humidity. We made our lunches and set off for the GBCC. I had a Saturday Sampler which was like a round robin of teachers. Huge hall with teachers around the outside, each showing a skill.

While the first one was not so good, the rest that I was able to see were really good. It was only two hours long and needed to be at least another hour long. I really liked the work of Maria Shell- very geometric and colourful. Karen Kay Buckley had some good tips on applique as did Kathy Dunigan. I bought Karin Hellaby’s new book on jewel shapes/ bishop’s mitre!!!!  It will join her other books on my shelf. 

I had lunch on the third floor because the second was filled with the general public. Deb joined me and we had a cuppa together before going back down to the vendors. I needed to find a ruler 3/8^th that Karin recommended. That took a considerable time but eventually I found it in a stall called “Watt a find”. Perfect name.

I thought I would try the ATM at the centre and bingo- no issues at all.  I was able to withdraw money from my account. Deb and I met at 2 and walked back via the “Grotto” restaurant to make a booking. 

Back at the hotel I told the staff re our issue with the bath drain not emptying and the light bulbs not working. We organised our clothes went down to the free guest laundry and put them in the washer. By the time we returned, the maintenance man was in our room. I began the process of catching up on both Facebook and my blog. Each day had been so long I’d run out of time after downloading photos and trying to keep up with my diary. 

Deb was packing her bags to drop off with Jess and Jake for them to be taken in the van to Paducah. I put a few things into my next mail bag for Monday. Susan had replied to my post re the post office/ posting mail situation, so tomorrow I will check it out. I uploaded and typed until it was time to go to the restaurant. Deb leaves tomorrow with Jess.

Back later…….

Delicious meal and lovely company with Jess and Deb. The GF pasta was fabulous. We left about 9:45 and walked back to the hotel. Both Deb and I were anxious to return after drinking all that water. Upon our return there were signs posted throughout the hotel re changing times tomorrow. Handy to know, although one hour extra is better than one hour less. I finished typing up today’s diary and then I was up to date! First time in a few days.. but then I discovered I had missed a day's blog! All done but late.

Day 11 Quilts, more quilts and crowds

It was so humid and I was too hot when I woke at 6. I know that there was already lots of traffic going past, possibly all those trying to beat the crush for parking places for the big parade? But like other times it was an advantage. I managed to catch up on the last two really busy days in my diary and to post most photos. The streets were filling with the orange shirts of the Houston baseball team all heading in the same direction- away from the GBCC. 

Today I wanted to finish seeing all the quilts. I lasted two hours before I had to have a break. The floor in that place is incredibly hard on feet and backs. When I had enough stamina to finish the quilts I went back in and mission was accomplished. Time to sit and eat my sandwich with Deb.

After lunch it was the vendors. No more fabric for me, only some thread and small novelty buttons. I met Rob Appell from “Man sewing”. Actually I heard his voice first. He doesn’t look the same as his videos. Luckily he was wearing his distinctive T-shirt. Later I met Victoria Wolf Findlay, who was just a nice as Rob.

At 5 pm Deb and I were ready to go back to the hotel, via the shops for some food for dinner. Slight issue that Houston was now in a traffic and human gridlock from all the people who had been at the parade. It was organised chaos. We went to the shop dodging cars across pedestrian crossings. The queues for buses and light rail were enormous. I managed to photograph some young men in their distinctive T-shirts. Finally in the room and shoes off. Bliss.

The quilts on display were the best of the best. Incredible works of art from each artist. It was interesting to see more printed designs that had been quilted in this year’s quilts. The quilt show draws more than 60,000 people from over 35 countries for four and a half days. There are more than 1,600 quilts and fabric art on display. More than 1000 vendor booths and 500+ classes and lectures. “Slightly larger” than Jeff’s shed/ AQC. However Tokyo has 250,000 visitors and runs over seven days. 

When we were speaking with Victoria she told us that she was a judge this year. Because judging was a week after the floods, they were upstairs judging, while all the homeless were on the main ground floor. Two things she noticed were signs about a curfew to try to stop looting and signs warning of potential issues with human trafficking! People who looked as if they were doing you a good turn, but may be taking advantage of you.

Time for dinner……. Back again after another yummy meal to post. Fingers crossed bed at a reasonable time? Didn’t happen. Too many photos to download and sort. But this should be the last huge day of quilt photos.

Day 10 Classes, adventures and helpful people

I woke at 7 and realised that Deb was not up yet. She had an early class at 8 so I woke her up and she was out of the door in 20 minutes. 

I was packed all the fabric I had bought at La Grange into envelopes to send home via post. Hmm… first adventure of the day… find the post office. The closest one was down the road by four blocks. First issue- I was at 700 Smith Street but all I could see was two huge buildings. I ended up asking a man who came out of one building, who took me over the road to the Court House which contains the post office. No external signage. Second issue of the day, because it is a federal building you and all your items have to be scanned. I eventually found the post office and a wonderful employee, who was so helpful and the two envelopes became one.

First class of the day was a lecture by Lori Triplett on Pioneer Quilts. This was the biggest disappointment of my time here. The hall was full, but we had to go down stairs to "view " the quilts. Couldn't see or hear. There were lots of complaints and grumbling.

Next was my lunchtime lecture by Cynthia England. Great speaker and very honest about the techniques she uses. Fabulous pieced/ sometimes appliqued work.  Lunch was a slight challenge- Breads, Chicken and rice for main followed by cake with a few berries. Well the chicken and berries tasted good. During our meal I mentioned how difficult/ impossible it was to find GF bread in the city. Mandy was sitting next to me and offered to take me to the store after the quilt show. - a fairly generous offer to a total stranger. 

Next class lecture was one on using up all your scraps by Judith Guthier. Very well presented and some lovely quilts. The last class/ lecture was by Freida Anderson on free motion machine quilting.

Finally it was time to see the quilts downstairs. Yes they are simply wonderful. The workmanship is superb on each one. I might not like the colours/ techniques/ style/ subject matter but they represent the best in the world at this time. The memorial to Sue Garman was spectacular. Her quilts were just incredible. I took lots of photos, but by 5:30 I was flagging and tried to contact Deb. Our phones have great difficulty in connecting in the George Brown. Eventually we found each other and went to find a cuppa. 

Next issue of the day. All the pop up cafes except one very basic one had closed at 5. We ended up getting a cuppa ($3.50 for hot water for me because they only had Earl Grey Tea!) and sat and sort of listened to a presenter down there.

Mandy rang me up and arranged to meet me at the fly over to the car park. As I said goodbye to Deb I told her that if I was being kidnapped “make sure the kids know I love them”. She laughed. I wasn’t so sure. Mandy didn’t realise there was a south and a north fly over. So I waited at the north while she waited at the south!  After 10 minutes I rang her before running the entire length of George Brown to meet her. Despite having difficulty with her phone GPS and a few “round the blocks”, she finally found a huge Whole Foods store. I would have liked to have checked out any other items they may have, but restricted myself to the GF bread. Lined up and we were out of there in 5 minutes. She drove me back to the hotel- a much shorter trip with her sister giving map directions from her phone in the back. So incredibly generous. The city was beautifully lit, celebrating the big win and the moon was full in the sky above.

I met Deb at 8 and we went down stairs to have a meal in the restaurant near the hotel. Delicious salmon with veggies. Fabulous. We chatted with a lady from LA who was going to Australia in December with her family. Another late night. 11 by the time I downloaded photos. At least I don’t have an early start tomorrow. It is going to be a HUGE day in Houston. A big celebration of the baseball win.

Day 9 Houston: classes and THE GAME.

Another very late night last night and then I slept in and had to "run" all the way. I proved it is possible to get to the centre in 12 minutes if you have to – not such a great idea when your first class is “chair yoga”. My stress level was through the roof by the time I rushed through the door to have a wonderful and highly recommended session. 

Most of you will not appreciate the size of the George Brown Centre. It is three floors high / one million square feet in size/ three football grounds long. Let’s just say that getting through the front door is not “getting there”. To get to classes you then take two escalators up to the third floor and then try to find your room in a rabbit warren/ maze of rooms. Once you get to the room you have to be checked off the participant’s list. The top floor varies in temperature from room to room-sometimes you get oven quality and sometimes Arctic quality. 

After my yoga class we walked up to the Embassy Suites hotel to join others for morning tea and sewing in the foyer.  Each one sewing or chatting the universal language of sewing/ quilting. Several cups of “coffee flavoured tea” (For the non-: traveller this is what you get when some idiot in the kitchen puts coffee on the tea urn at some previous function and has forever tainted the urn with coffee flavour.) 

My second class of the day was on hand applique and learnt a few more skills. Charlotte Warr Andersen was another good teacher. Well prepared, with all our supplies in bags ready to start. We worked on four different skills. Her applique examples were amazing. The class finished at 5. Then we joined the other class people in the early session of Preview night at the Quilt Show.

Deb and I started at one end of the vendors and worked our way along. We met Mary and Jo Koval, The Craftsy team, Fabric Connections team and other vendors who had been on the end of emails. I didn’t do any shopping, we were mostly browsing. At 7 pm the doors opened for non-class public who had paid for admission. (The general public comes tomorrow.)

By the time we walked home at 9:30 we were both really tired and hungry. As we walked past every bar and restaurant they were full to overflowing with people glued to any possible TV screen watching “ The Game” - the final of the World Series baseball: Houston versus the Dodgers. When we walked past the score was 5:0 in Houston’s favour. Even at the centre devotees were glued to phones or the TV in there. Houston had never won a series before.

Dinner was really late at 10, so no typing/ downloading. Just shower and sleep for about 15 minutes until the game was over.  Houston had obviously won, because the noise level in the streets went up to sky high. Horns blasting and hoons doing burn outs in the usually quiet streets, joined in by sirens and shouting for the next two hours. Finally they all went home and we went back to sleep

Day 8 Class on fusible flowers at Houston

Day 8 Class on “Fabulous Fusible Fabric Flowers” With Melinda Bula

The day began, as it would appear all days here will begin, with an early morning noisy neighbour waking up at 5 am! GRRRRRRR. 

Deb and I got up, had breakfast, I made my lunch and we left at 7:15. We had to pick up our badges and programme for an 8 am start. Well that’s what mine said last week. Not so apparently. Changed to 9 am start. So I was first at the room, took down the chairs and waited for the next person to come. There were a few who turned up an hour early? Not to worry, I chatted to the other ladies outside the room after grabbing a front row seat so I didn’t end up with a stiff neck from turning.

Class started at 9. Melinda Bula was leading the class. Good presenter, interesting technique, but the room was like an oven I took my t-shirt off very quickly before the class started. We worked until 12. Stopped for a 2 hour lunch break, during which time I took out my materials and ironed the backing on each piece and cut out in preparation for the next part of the class. This meant that my basic flower shape was finished within the class time and now I “just” have to finish all the very fine details and quilt it! (Many more hours will be needed to complete it) Lots of intricate cutting skills and layering. A very enjoyable class. Deb had a full day on long arm quilting skills.

Aiming for this 

I couldn’t get Deb on the phone during the day or after classes until she rang me as she was coming out of the centre. Apparently the phone reception inside is notoriously poor? .We walked back to the hotel via the grocery shop. By this time it was 6:30 and time to make dinner. This hotel has no serving dishes so I used the plastic container that used to have the spinach as a salad bowl and we used a take away coffee cup as a container for the salmon. Another nice simple dinner. Dishes and typing soon after. Finally almost caught up, but it is 11 pm. The best part is the next few days are much less busy but we are both pessimistic about getting any sleep in tomorrow.

My flower at the end of class with lots more to do