Tuesday, 29 March

This is quite the significant date.  35 years ago my sweet son was born (how can he be so old when I'm not?)  So this is what I made for him (you've seen this before)

Bound, quilted and ready to go.  Just need to do a quickly label.  He and his wife are coming over for dinner tonight in celebration of that important date several years ago.  Fun!

Last week the phone rang and it was my 8 1/2yo grandson who said, "Nana, next week is spring break.  Can I come over?"  So we met up yesterday and he came here for a couple of days.  Yesterday it was a couple of park playgrounds while it was still dry and a new pair of sneakers with flashing lights on the front.  Today (in the rain) we have been sewing.  He chose the fabrics and Nana cut 5" squares.  I have a small table that has adjustable heights, so he was able to sit comfortably and sew.  And darn, he does it very well. 

Nana helped with batting and backing and now he has his own "lap" quilt.  Pretty cute, huh?

And lastly, today is my 4 year blog-o-versary.  Can you imagine - I can hardly believe it.   I'm sure that is deserving of some sort of recognition.  So if you leave me a comment, I'll randomly choose a name and find a worthwhile momento.  This is such fun, really, I should celebrate myself.  [perhaps a small piece of birthday cake for this doubly momentous day?]

Happy March 29.

Not much sewing going on around here

Last week-end we headed out for our first RV adventure of 2011.  [Thus, not much sewing.  Other photos below.]

Friday was a rainy, rainy day, especially during the night.  We have been having challenges with water in the coach and our problems continued, although the service guys did think they had taken care of all the places where water was getting in.  So it was a week-end of mopping and running space heaters to do our best to dry it up completely.

Meanwhile, Saturday was pretty pleasant although breezy.  We did some geocaching.  And managed to find 2 out of 3.  Not so bad for rank amateurs.

This is the one we couldn't find.  Not in all that driftwood.

Then we drove on to Cap Sante - a rock outcropping on the northeast side of Anacortes.  Fabulous.

City of Anacortes with Marina in the foreground

Fidalgo Bay

Really georgous!

We returned "home" for some lunch and then took a little tour of the town and on to Washington Park on the western side of the city.  Oh my - again, just spectacular scenery.

I did bring my Ott Light so I could do some applique in the evening.  We saved the Pinochle game for Sunday morning.  My side won! 

Pre-Quilt Show

Quilter's Anonymous is the largest quilt guild in the state and our annual quilt show is something else.  We have over 400 quilts being shown this year.  Yesterday I did my requisite 4 hours of 'volunteering' by helping to hang quilts.  The venue is less than ideal - a county fairgrounds, but it has been the tradition for over 25 years.

 Wouldn't you know that my camera batteries died, so there are only a few photos of the day, but here they are:

Of course, it is great fun to see the work of friends and other members of the guild.  This was in the morning.   In the afternoon I helped to hang the work of our Featured Artist, Maurine Roy.  She is known for her art quilts, almost all self-designed.

Utopia by Maurine Roy - 2nd Place

As we will be away this week-end, I will miss the show as a whole, but it was fun to have a little preview.

It's still raining

Oh dear - wet, wet, wet and then today thunder, lightening and hail.  But there are still some little hints that spring will arrive,

Like I said, "little" - we hold out hope with even the thinnest thread:

They're coming. . . . . . . . . .

However, this dreadful weather also spurred me on to really do a search of Nana's quilting room and I found some fabric that can be "gifted".  This will be given to the CTA group that will be making Project Linus blankets - 33 yards.  That is an embarrassment, but at the same time I'm happy to get that much cleared out and on its way to being used. 

Sunday in the rain

Well yes, this is the pacific northwest and we are beginning to develop clearly webbed feet.  Oh it's awful.  But even more so, the poor people of Japan.  Oh - I don't even know what to say except my heart aches for them.

This afternoon's project was completing quilting the borders on the bricks and stepping stones quilt.  I've decided that I will give it to my son for his birthday.  He is setting himself up with a study/den and music room, so am hoping that this little lap quilt will go nicely in there.

I can't tell you how delighted I am to report that my machine is working very well.  I haven't solved all the thread questions (which one works best for what application) but it is so reassuring to have it work properly.

And then because it just seemed like the right thing to do, I made the world's easiest lemon pie,

Use a purchased graham cracker crust.  Fill it with a mix of 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and the juice (and some pulp and grated peel) of 4 lemons.  Mix and chill.  Fabulous.  I will be required to do a bit of quality control in front of the TV tonight - just to be sure, but you know. . . . . . . .

A semi busy week ahead.  I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday evening

I sure wish I could be inspired with titles for my blogs - something that would catch your attention, but somehow I'm just not there tonight.

It's been a couple of busy days at Casa Nana.  Today was Q.A. (quilt guild meeting).  Our speaker was Carole Liebzeit - known for use of large prints and bright colors.  She also uses lots of fun embellishments on her quilts like rick rack and buttons.  Very fun.  The real shocker today was this

I am truly the queen of never-win-anything.  For several seconds after she said my name I know that I just sat there thinking 'did I really hear that'.  The owner of this new facility in the Cascade Mountains, outside of the town of Leavenworth, donated an overnight at this lovely lodge.  So I will get an unexpected time away.  Woo Hoo!

Tonight it is just raining and raining - you can hear it on the roof top and echoing in the vents for the fireplace and the microwave.  Yuk.  Perfect weather for finishing bindings,

Happy little baby quilt.

The Day after . . . . .

Friend Caro went home yesterday.  Our home is very quiet and we are missing her presence.  Isn't it so amazing that you can meet someone and somehow everything just "clicks".  She reminded me that we only met 3 years ago when I was traveling in the Netherlands and Belgium on an essentially quilty trip. 

Now we are getting ready to fulfill something that has been on my bucket list for quite some time.  We will be swapping houses with 2 different families in the Netherlands this summer.  It really should be just the "best" adventure - however, there are 2 or 3 things to get organized before mid May.  Phew!

Caro would be ready to fill up every day.  But we will try to be sensible and plan for some busy and some relaxing time, as well.  Many friends, new and old to visit, places to visit or re-visit - it's just all very exciting.  I'll try not to bore you with all our machinations around getting ready to go - and to have two families living in our house, while we are away.  Much to get ready. 

Meanwhile, I have been sewing the binding on another Stone Soup Quilt,

I don't regularly buy fabric, but do belong to a fabric club from which I receive six fat quarters, four times a year.  These are the "Basics" line from a Danish manufacturer.  I like them very much, as the patterns are generally quite muted and 'read' as solids from a distance - and I don't usually find them in other peoples quilts.

Lastly, one UFO on the road to completion, with borders now,

I must admit to being fairly pleased with my needle turn applique on this one,

Pretty small stitches.

Mostly keeping out of trouble.

Unless you think.....

I'm asleep at the wheel - we have been extremely busy.  [See caro-en-rob.blogspot.com.]  I have been being a very good girl and the few things that I have been buying, lately, are really only tools.  And the only fabric was a bit of the animal fabric I want for my new grandbaby (and which I found on a 30% off table - hurrah for using dated fabrics!)

Here are a couple of my new "tools"

A marking pencil, some tape that is both inches and centimeters and a few new pins.  Really just housekeeping items.  You've already seen the Animals Around the World fabric.  Caro bought some Texture Magic -for us to 'play' with and see what it can do.  We did take a short class last Saturday, on the stuff and it is interesting.  Not exactly sure how I would use it other than one idea the teacher had for making a table runner, in fall colors, and making leaves using T.M. to crinkle up the leaves.  Quite a good idea.

Plain cottons in the back row and silk in the front.  Hmmmmm.

From my stash, a baby quilt for our friend Saskia, in the Netherlands, expecting a little girl in April,

Very pink and white, to be backed with pink flannel (also from stash).  I have also been working some more on this quilt (oh, UFO's always just wait for us) doing hand-quilting.  However, one very good lesson learned - hand quilting when you have a pieced back, using lots of left-over blocks, is VERY DIFFICULT.

But this is almost ready for binding and finishing. [Caro calls it "Marne's challenge"]

Today we are off to help with the church rummage sale, then second hand book store, then a visit with quilting friend Alayne.  Never a dull moment.  And no doubt, Caro will get photos to put on her blog.
Enjoy your quilting friends - they are the best!