Chaco Culture/Canyon

It's been a busy week, with a day of teaching, and lots of dyeing and ironing for the upcoming Ottawa Valley Quilters Show. Before time gets away from me, I wanted to share a few more inspirational pictures from my trip to New Mexico. As I mentioned, I went partly to attend the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Conference in Santa Fe, and partly to tour Santa Fe and New Mexico, and catch some of the sights I missed on a previous trip five years ago. 

We missed seeing the ruins of Chaco Culture/Canyon on our last trip as it was February and the road so muddy we almost got stuck.This trip New Mexico was experiencing a very dry April, so we made the drive. Two and a half hours northwest of Santa Fe on good roads, and then an hour on 16 miles of washboard dirt road.

Was it worth it? You bet! An afternoon of blue skies in the canyon that was home to thousands of people between 800 and 1200 AD.

Considering their age, the remains of Chaco Culture are still quite impressive, but they are fragile.

There are several ruins of pueblos scattered around the park

The main pueblo, Bonita Pueblo, is the most impressive and extensive. You can see the ruins of a kiva (underground ceremonial chamber) here.

One can step inside parts of the pueblo and gaze through multiple doorways down the length of the structure.

On one side the pueblos are protected by a large wall of rock. We found the structure below quite interesting, as it appears that this piece of rock is about to break away from the wall.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I am heading back to the dyeing and ironing.

Taos Pueblo

It was an utter pleasure and privilege to visit Taos Pueblo on my trip to New Mexico. Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited native pueblo in the United States, and it dates back about 1000 years. Natives  of the "Red Willow People" still live there, but mostly come for religious rituals. 

Of course the Spanish brought their religion when they came to this area. St. Geronimo Church was built around 1619.  There were clashes between the Spanish and the native population, and despite this about 3/4 of the population shares in Catholic practices.

The white cross of the church makes a bold statement against the blue sky.

The adobe buildings are built of earth, straw and water, mixed and poured into forms. 

At one time entry to homes was by ladder only, through openings in the roof. This allowed light in but also served to keep out intrudors.

The exteriors are plastered annually to keep them in good shape.

Doors are painted striking blue colours, that mirror the colour of the sky, and complement beautifully with the earth colour of the buildings.

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This door, however, was painted white, and patterned with hand prints.

Dogs are numerous and seem to be happy and well-fed, although their aloofness to strangers suggests they may not be pets.

The site of the old graveyard is located next to the village, but the newer graveyard is off-site.

Chile peppers drying in the sun are a common sight all over New Mexico.

Velvet Wearable Art

Many of you know how much I love silver jewellery. So being in Santa Fe was a huge temptation for me. Despite a lot of browsing, however, I resisted more than previous trips to the Southwest. That would be partly because on my first day I splurged on this beautiful hand-painted velvet wrap by Chei Reckers. I'm sharing this because I want you to see Cheri's beautiful work, all hand-painted with dyes. I love the colours, and the fact that the size of the wrap is ample for an ample woman like me.

I also love the little bit of beading she did on the lower front that helps prevent the wrap from sliding off from the back.

Here's a close-up of the painted design. She is certainly a master. I would love to learn how she does this but  also realize that with some research and a lot of practice I could probably come up with hand-painted wraps myself, although it would take a lot of practice to become as accomplished as Cheri. This kind of work also requires a lot of space, which I don't have. But when did I ever let a little thing like lack of space hold me back? The bigger obstacle right now is lack of time. Moving into peak teaching season, and also much fabric to iron and more to dye this weekend.

I'm reminded a bit of the beading I did on a hand-dyed shibori velvet scarf I made a few years ago. Pulled it out this morning, photographed it, and think I will start wearing it again! Decided after hours of beading that I wouldn't be selling these! 

I'll be living off gruel (or beans as they say in the Southwest) after my splurge. But it will be a wonderful piece to wear for arty events for years to come!

SAQA Conference, Santa Fe and Auction

I just put the finishing touches on my one foot square auction quilt for the 2013 SAQA Benefit Auction. Although the final deadline is June 1, I wanted this finished before I head to the SAQA Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week. I can't wait!

Travelling in the Southwest a few years back, I spent a day in Santa Fe and loved it. In fact it is the place I met the inspiring tree that is featured in my first tree quilt, "Standing Still", made just after I left my day job.  Here it is!

The sky was bluer than blue that February day. Below is a photo of the amazing trees I met. The online forecast for this coming week is sunny sunny sunny for Santa Fe. Did I mention sunny? Hubs will be home taking care of all feline needs.

Thought I'd share just a few pictures from my 2008 visit to Santa Fe as I anticipate the sights I will experience in the upcoming week.

Chile peppers drying on an adobe wall.

Beautiful buildings and art along Canyon Rd. (gallery row!)

Jane Sauer Gallery (formerly the famous "Thirteen Moons" Gallery) where you will always find quilted art.

Native Americans selling their wares (mostly silver jewellry) at the Palace of the Governors.

There is an awful lot of ironing awaiting me. I've just dyed another 36 meters of fabric. The pile of un-ironed fabric now stands at 91 meters. I am preparing to be a vendor at the Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild show on Mothers Day Weekend. I hope to finish some of the ironing today, but whatever doesn't get finished will surely be waiting for me when I get home!