Blogging change

This won't allow me to post any photos.  So I have a new blog:

CasaNanaQuilts.blogspot.com

You can find me over there.  Come on down.

Sunday Field Trip

After church today, we joined two good friends and went on a field trip.  Our first stop was the Northwest Wood Gallery.  The most gorgeous things all hand made of wood.  In fact, this month they are having a box and container competition.  Check it out online.  But here are a few of the amazing things we saw,

Approx. 7" x 12", with compartments inside

Small dining table

Inlay on the chair back, to go with the table above

Fishlips bowl

Lovely cabinet, approx. 4 1/2 ft. tall

It really was so impressive.  All this gorgeous work.  You could only just run your hands over the satin finish on each piece.

Table, approx. 4' in diameter

Inlay on a cabinet face

cardinals

Quail family

I really know nothing about wood working, but gosh it was so lovely.  It was grand to be able to wander around all these beautiful wood products.

Our next stop on our journey was the crumpet shop, for a crumpet and a cup of tea.  Mine was ricotta and lemon curd.  In our group we also had one strawberry jam topping, one almond butter and honey and peanut butter and blackberry jam.  Do you remember this place Caro?

Then it was on to the Pike Place Market.

Fresh pasta for sale - even chocolate pasta

Pasta shop's partner, with amazing vinegars and oils

One of several fish stalls

We had a wonderful time wandering and looking.  In the end we chose our dinner of: fresh halibut, lemon basil pasta and steamed spinach with balsamic vinegar.  Oh so amazingly good.

And here are the intrepid shoppers,

We all decided that it was such fun, we will definitely do it again!

Sandy blocks done

If you noticed the little Sandy icon on the right side, I have committed to helping to make some quilt blocks that will be assembled and sent on to folks in the eastern U.S. blasted by Sandy.  It is really easy and feels like I can help out a bit, this way.  (who among us doesn't have more than a few scrap strips?)  I started with making 4 blocks and will send those off to the "assembler".  Then I will re-register and make some more.  Just taking it in small bites, so I'm sure to complete them.

What else?  Last week-end we helped with some clean up, fix up, rip out and re-do at the Boat House.  A former church member (she has since died) gave the church housing association an apartment building.  She had been renting it out to "needy" folks for some years.  It has now become part of the city's affordable housing program.  We fix up the apartments as they become vacant and then they are rented out as low income/section 8 housing to families in need.  Each apartment has at least 3 bedrooms (2 have 4), 1 bathroom, kitchen with space and living room/dining room.  They are light and bright and really so attractive.  I had often thought I'd love to live there.  But here are the before photos.  It will be a few weeks/months before the after photos are available.

Sunday the 6 year old grand had a birthday.  It's easy to get forgotten when you are the last in line, and it was a bit difficult to share the limelight with the 1+ year old cousin who just learned to stand, but............

New "girl" legos

peppermint ice-cream cake

You can't expect me to stand up when there's a ball to play with

Rather a busy week around Casa Nana, so will catch up again soon.

Coming up on another week-end

Oh good gracious - it's been longer than I thought, since this little blog has been updated.  Things have been clicking along pretty quickly, despite political turmoil.  But we have all survived and here in Washington we even have a couple of new twists.  We shall see how things turn out with same sex marriage, decriminaliztion of marajuana, charter schools - not to mention - we still don't know who  our next governor will be.  Hmmmm.

We had great fun last week-end (and I forgot my camera).  We visited the farm (dogs, chickens, sheep) that one of our ministers keeps.  The three bigger grands came along and we had a great time.  We also pressed some apples for super fresh cider.

Been getting ready for colder weather.  Got the winter quilts on the bed.
 And the living room re-arranged.  What the heck.

 

Not a big deal, but I enjoy letting things look a bit different, once in a while.  And this way, it is easy to put the Christmas Tree in the front window.  [How's that for planning ahead?]  ;-)

I did 'live it up' and bought myself a new toy.  This has been much of my time [waster]  utilizer.

It's an iPad mini.  Just out.  I have to make arrangements to attend some of the Apple workshops that help with using your Apple products.  But so far, I do like it.  The learning curve isn't quite as bad as when I first got my Mac (after many years with PC's).  But it's great to take into the sewing room - I don't usually watch things, but I love having internet radio.  Woo Hoo.

This is soup weather - so got this one going today.  And we all know that homemade soup is better reheated, so this is actually for Saturday.  Our church owns an apartment house which is made available to limited income families.  At least one of the units is vacant, so there is a paint up/fix up day on Saturday.  I sure won't feel like making supper after a day there, so this will be all set in the 'fridge for warming up.

My long-arm quilting friend Alayne provided me with 5 different threads to try out for free-motion quilting.  So I made a little "sandwich" and gave them a "go".  They are all Superior Threads and I do like them.

this is King Tut

this is Poly Quilter

Today I tried my hand at making a Christmas placemat.  I didn't have a pattern.  I was just using a photo from May Britt's blog.  She lives in Norway but writes her blog in excellent English.  Take a peak.

Not the greatest fabrics, but mostly I was just trying out sizes and order of piecing.  Now to think about making a set of 4 or 6.  I like them. 

Tomorrow is taking the motorhome in for winterizing before parking it for the "duration"  (sigh!!!) and then a University of Washington Women's Basketball game.  The Pac 12 doesn't actually start until January, but there are several pre-season games to get us all in the mood.  Onward!