The first email arrived in June 2024… That gave me over two years to build my expectations for a trip out West to New Mexico to spend time with the Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Los Alamos!
WARNING: Lots of pictures to follow…
I made sure to watch the Oppenheimer movie last year although I did choose to watch it on the very small screen on my phone while on a plane. I did a little research into the sights not to be missed in the area AND I prepared for the actual reason I was going… a lecture and a workshop 🙂
Brenda was very patient with me as we sorted out the details. I kept getting my days and dates confused but we finally agreed and then all I had to do was get to Midway early on the appointed day for my flight, one plane but involving a stop in Phoenix. It was a very uneventful flight and Brenda was there to meet me in arrivals at Albuquerque airport. It was the day of the haboob in Arizona… five hours after I passed through… a good day for my flight to be on time?
Time for an adventure. We stopped off in Santa Fe on our way up to Los Alamos and took a little walk around the square. The cathedral is closed on Mondays for cleaning. Yes, it was Monday.
Santa Fe has lots of history. We stopped in to some of the oldest buildings. This plaque caught my eye.
Everyone involved in the Manhattan Project had to stop in there before they were allowed any closer.
Time for us to go up the hill for ourselves.
We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner. The weather was ideal for sitting outside and enjoying the view.
Definitely not in Illinois?
Onwards and upwards. We stopped at a look out point.
Behind us was the original road that the scientists took in 1943.
I was very grateful for the road that we were on. It was quite narrow and curvy enough for me.
Brenda delivered me to my hostess Joan at the place where I was staying and that was the first day!
Meetings had been held to plan my days. Deb and Roxanne picked me up Tuesday morning to go back down to Santa Fe. We started at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Ten rooms of art and artifacts from her life. It was well worth the visit.
Just one picture. This is Petunia no. 2 from 1924.
After a lovely lunch we headed over to the Museum of International Folk Art that I had heard so much about.
There was almost too much to look at so I focused on the textiles.
There were lots of European samplers. This one was stitched by an eleven year old. I was stitching at eleven but I don’t think I would have chosen these words for myself?
I liked the Huichol yarn paintings from Mexico. Yarn is pressed into warm beeswax. These cats had caught a mouse!
The museum always has a few special exhibits. We enjoyed iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa. I own several small wire bowls but these were amazing.
We also spent some time in Appearances Deceive: Embroideries by Policarpio Valencia, a series of embroideries, mostly stitched in variations of button hole stitch with cotton string.
But remember I was in the area to work? Enough time gadding around… Time to go back up the hill again and get ready for the evening.
After a lovely dinner in town with several of the guild members we headed over to our meeting place and got ready for the guild’s monthly get together.
Not too much business and some fun show and tell.
My turn to be at the front. Looking right,
and left.
The small but mighty group, with a few guests from the local embroiderers’ guild, were a super audience to go on a Trip Around the World. There were lots of laughs as the well educated crowd struggled to estimate distances between countries!
Wednesday morning I was up early ready for pick up for our Walking Foot Quilting workshop. The sockets were placed around the large room so everyone was spaced out to stitch at their machines.
We had a separate sitting area for my demos, no need to move chairs. Machines hummed along as people worked on their squares.. Everyone went home tired! (and hopefully inspired?)
Class over, there was time to go out and about. We stopped off by the central pond. This is how it looked in the 1940s.
And today.
Then off to Overlook Park in White Rock. It was raining off in the distance…
A view of the Rio Grande.
The remains of an ancient volcano off in the distance.
So beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice. I was warned to watch out for rattle snakes. I was not disappointed that we didn’t see any!
Brenda was not finished with me!
My flight home was not until early afternoon so we had time to take the scenic route back to the airport on Thursday.
Here’s just a small selection of my photos.
We started in the center of Los Alamos at the old boys’ school that was taken over for the scientists.
The main hall featured in last year’s movie.
Me with Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves! (They had just had a wash.)
Ancestral pueblo site, dating back to the 1200s.
We stopped at the Valles Caldera.
Battleship Rock
Jemez Springs Historical Site
Soda Dam,
Red Rocks, Jemez Pueblo.
Just wow!
And then back to the airport and home. The quilters had a saying “NI” meaning not impressed. My trip was definitely “BE”, beyond expectations!! (and Steve reminded me I had very high expectations before I set off…)
Every trip has its own special memories. I always say I love to travel absolutely anywhere. I really don’t like to rank my journeys but I do hope I will be able to return to New Mexico some day. Thank you Piecemakers for looking after me so well 🙂
Looks lovely Catherine x
and it was even better than it looked!!
The Los Alamos Piecemakers were happy to receive an “exceeds expectation” vs “not impressed!” We very much enjoyed your program and workshop. The interactive nature of “Your Trip Around the World in Folk Art Stitches” was fun and entertaining. The workshop was was both informative and inspiring. To say the least we were very much impressed! P.S. Some of us are brushing up on our geography. Many thanks for saying “Yes” to our invite. Brenda/Co-VP, Los Alamos Piecemakers Guild