Road trip 2013 Day 5

Had a great day yesterday. First on my list was the GRAM - Grand Rapids Art Museum. There was a fabulous collection of quilts from the 1950-1960 era all made by Susana Allen Hunter. The quilts are much like Gees Bend quilts made with whatever was available from old clothes, feed sacks and more. Again I was made aware of my inability to understand impressionist art. 

???

This was Smiley Face I think. Just thought it was weird. 

Now this I get!  Remington cowboy on a horse. The piece is called Rattlesnake. 

So much for my art appreciation skills. The afternoon was spent in a class at the quilt show by Karen Combs on Celtic Illusions. It is a brilliant use of just 2 blocks that can be put together in endless ways. I got a bit frustrated with the sewing machine. My Bernina beats Janome hands down. I feel like a sewing machine snob. 
 

Talking about sewing machines, I continued my research into the perfect sit down long arm setup. It is down to the APQS George or the Pennywinkle Sunny 24. The George costs 2x the Sunny but are really different setups. 

Sunny 24

 

APQS George

If I put the price difference aside, the George is probably a better choice. Still not ready to commit. 

Last night was so fun in downtown Grand Rapids. Friday night is movie night in the park between the Gerald Ford Museum and the river. People brought chairs and blankets and settled on the lawn to watch Back to the Future on a big inflatable screen. No venders or commercial stuff and no cost. Someone even brought a Delorean to the park 
 

Movies in the park. 

 

Delorean. 

On the way back to the JW I met this lady in the sidewalk down on hands and knees making a rubbing of the manhole cover with some fabric and a black crayon. She says she irons it to set the crayon permanently and makes quilts and wall hangings from them. 

Manhole rubbing. 

 This is not on my list of things I want to start doing but really fun to see what the possibilities can be. 

 Today I leave Grand Rapids but first I must see the Titanic display at the public museum and then make my decision about the long arm. Will it be Sunny or George?? 

The Road Trip really starts today as I begin my exploration of northern Michigan. Tonight I will be at the Renaissance in Bay Shore. Wonder what I will discover on my way there?