Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Circus has come to town: a journal quilt

click to enlarge
         Every year, good friend and active Shriner Neal buys tickets to the circus and gifts us for the grandchildren. It is our duty to ride the elephants and horses, buy lots of cotton candy of which all the money goes to the Shriners' burn centers, and engage with other goodies, treats and rides for a super concern. This year I made a movie but forgot the journal quilt.



        I am far enough behind on journal quilts, I thought I would use the very first block which I made to teach myself patchwork quilting. Of course it would have helped to have read the instructions: I did not leave enough margin on the edges to sew to another. Sooo SEW! I thought I would use the elephant block to stand in for the circus journal, because I could not use it otherwise (no margins). Serendiptously, I see that the movie Water for Elephants is showing down the street. The reviews haven't been tops, but I liked what Ebert said. I read and enjoyed the book.  Of course, I am still disturbed by some elephant training videos I observed recently.

4 comments:

  1. Love the circus! Thanks for the memories!

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  2. You all are spectacular to take the grandkids to the Circus. And, that is a really good circus. It's just the right size with the main acts & the clowns & all the "stuff" that comprise THE best parts of any circus. Your grandchildren were obviously so enjoying themselves. Love the elephant on the bike.

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  3. I have such happy memories of taking our CA grandkids to the circus--and it was a Shrine circus--when they were 2 and 4 or maybe 3 and 5--such fun. Then in 2009, taking Locke to the Big Apple Circus in NYCity with his mom. So nice to be reminded of those happy times. Fun journal quilts!

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  4. I love this picture of Hannah with the clowns. It captures childhood and circuses and color and fun. Likewise, your elephant block is a nostalgic approach to circuses of the past, as well as subtle colors in comparison to the real circus colors of the clowns in your picture. s

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