Wonderful Week-end with the Women of Cascadia

This past week-end was our first event of 2012 and it was great!  The fact that sunshine abounded was a noticeable plus, but it was also a terrific event.  The Shanghai restaurant located at the Marina (where the camp ground is located) provided a catered appetizer dinner, coming in waves which caused lots of really full tummies.  Saturday we got a tour of the new Maritime Center,

This not only houses many historical artifacts, there is a wooden boat building workshop inside.  And lucky for us, it was Port Townsend Victorian week-end, so there were lots and lots of folks in appropriate costumes.  Later in the afternoon, several of us walked through town,

Such fun.  Sandwich bar potluck for supper and evening happenings.  Great fun.  Sunday dawned beautiful

Thank goodness that it wasn't nearly as windy as it had been last week; we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

More next month.

We aren't actually seeing spring temperatures

(especially as compared with the eastern half of the U.S.) but today was a distinct improvement.  We even had some blue sky and sunshine.  Yeah!!!!

Lots of crocus.

Daffodils and some violets.

Happy Spring

I didn't take any photos of the wonderful flowers in my yard: crocus, lots of daffodils, tulips and hyacinth are starting up and iris are sending out leaves.  Oh how I love it.  This morning the fix-it guy from the sewer-repair company (yes, you heard all about that), came for a free water heater drain and clean out.  I don't really know how Seattle compares to other cities, but we have quite a bit of sediment in the water.  This requires some attention over time - or not, and then you get to face some repairs.

While he was doing his thing, I did manage to work on a couple of little projects.  I finished the nap quilt for Amelia.  She will be 2 this summer and we are camping with her parents, so this will be a birthday gift.

A cute circus print.

On my design wall  (gracious, that sounds so professional) is a large [18"+/-] block I found in a magazine.  I do love the block, but it isn't quite as easy as it might appear - it's fiddly.

But it's lovely.  Made with dark blue, green and red fabrics.

Here are my problemmatic blocks - the small stars.  I did try starching the bee-jeepers out of the cream pieces, but it only helped a little.

Pretty close to 90` angles.  But you can see where I can so easily go awry,

Those sides and the top are definately NOT square.  I will have to keep working on these if I think I will make more of these blocks.

31st Annual Quilters Anonymous Show

Yesterday I was able to attend the quilt show, "Alive with Color".  Oh my, it is always so amazing to see what skill, creativity and patience folks have to make these marvelous quilts.  There were approximately 400 members quilts (on display), in 16 categories, plus small quilts for sale and the membership challenge quilts.  There was a featured quilter and 25 vendors.  Pretty good for our little ole Quilt Guild, no?  So here are some pictures of some of my favorites,

Pretty impressive work.

Each triangle and square is just under 1/2".  And it is NOT paper pieced.  Wow!

strip-pieced pineapples.  So cheerful.

You can just see the edge of the blue ribbon for Keri's complete "Dear Jane" quilt.

 All done with selvidges.

Lisa's miniature (approx. 8" square).  Check out the lines of white stitching.  Amazing.

It is a bit intimidating, but also invigorating and challenging to each of us to "get busy" and make something. 

Such a long time

Oh my word, but it has been a long time since I have managed to get my fingers headed in this direction.  Life is just so busy and full - how did I EVER find time to work?

Just so you know I'm not fibbing:  cardio-rehab 3 days a week, exercising the rest of the week, book sorting for the big church rummage sale in April, new motorhome, Dutch classes begin again April 2nd - Phew!

But I did get to play with needle and thread yesterday.  Hurrah!  I took a class on needle-turn applique from Nancy Chong of Pacific Rim Quilt Company.  I have tried for literally years to take a class from her and it has never worked: cancellations, class full, wrong time, etc. etc.  Her work is truly amazing and it is virtually all done needle-turn.  So here is what I worked on yesterday.  Perfect, "no", but as she kept saying 'you are doing this because it is fun",

So:  skinny stems, points, circles, "V" [and I didn't get to inside curves in class]

I think the point is pretty good.  The "V" isn't bad.  My circle is a bit flat on one side - I know, but that's a work in progress.  This morning I woke early, so I pulled out my project #1 to finish up before the month is over [my Stashbuster group is doing a Finish-up-your-UFO's projects in 2012.]

This week-end is the big Q.A. Quilt Show, so I promise photos.

Monday update

No photos to show you, but wanted to let you know that I haven't fallen off the turnip truck (at least, not yet).  So please accept a few words to talk about what's been going on.  My old computer was 3 or 4 iterations out of date, so decided to take the plunge and got a new one.  Then had to figure out how to make it work, and in fact, only got the printer to recognize it today.  Woo Hoo.

If you see Facebook, you will see that we got our new motorhome this week-end.  Very exciting and I can't wait to get to try it out this next week-end.  Need to spend some fair amount of time getting things actually put away and stored where I think I want to keep them.  This one has less indoor storage, so it is a bit of a challenge.  Meanwhile I have my cardio-rehab program 3 days a week.  Tomorrow is a minor medical procedure and Thursday it is a program at the University of Washington Retirees Association about long-term living arrangements: retirement communities, independent living, nursing homes, etc.  No, I'm not ready to move in, but having watched our friends and neighbors having to "react" when a problem surfaced, I want to feel like I have considered the options and know what I want, ahead of time.  Also on Thursday is another Treadmill/stress test - to see if I am improved after my heart surgery and then we have tickets to a Calvin College Improv. group.  PHEW!

So you can see that I have not done a lot of working behind my machine and probably won't this week, either.  Oh well, soon enough.  I did do some cutting out of strips to be pieced.  But not enough to show you just yet.  This is a kind of a trial to see if I like it as well in person as I did in the magazine.  Happy days - come on Spring!!!!!