Hiking and Circles

I am participating in a photo blog with my Yaya's....the one with weekly themes...I think I've mentioned it before.   Anyway, this week our theme is "Circle".   Hubby and I went for a nice long hike today to enjoy the sunshine.   I decided it would be fun to look for circles while we walked.....and it was!   

Here are a few I found:

Fabric Friday

I haven't had much to blog about lately.  But I have been buying fabric more than usual.........so I have that to show!   :)     This is from Blank Textiles (a company I hadn't heard of).  It's the "Essence" line by designer Karen Combs.   I found it in Houston when I was there.   Lots of great color to add to my stash.

Gifting quilts

I'm down in Texas visiting my Dad and step Mom.  My most recent quilt project was a gift for my Dad.   He has Parkinson's and sits a lot these days........a comfy quilt was needed, don't ya think?   :)    I'm rarely able to get a pic of my quilts with their recipients....I'm so glad I was able to do so this time.  
I love you, Dad.

Fabric Friday

Last Monday was Yaya day and we girls went to Vashon Island to see their quilt shop.  They are famous for carrying a HUGE amount of Kaffe Fasset fabrics.  Take a look at the wall of Kaffe:

That's a wall 4 bolts high!   I think we counted about 600 bolts on this wall alone.

These are the ones I choose:

Tink selected some for a quilt for her sister who is getting married this summer:

                                      

Melissa didn't buy Kaffe but found some other lovelies for a quilt for her guest room:

Yvonne had fun watching us spend our money:

                       
                           Oh I also found two more fabrics to add to my junk food collection:

Fun day.   Will definitely have to go there again.   

Design Wall Monday - Dad's Quilt

I finished all the blocks for my current quilt project and they're up on the design wall!    This was a fun project to work on.   I don't know the name of the pattern but its from the book "Cozy Modern Quilts" by Kim Schaeffer.   I used two jelly-rolls of Hoffman batiks.....such rich colors.   

Be sure to visit more design walls at Judy's Design Wall Monday blog.   :)

Fabric Friday

I picked up a jelly-roll (pre-cut 2.5 inch strips for my non-quilting readers) of Hawaiian prints when in Maui this month.   They are so colorful and fun.   I already have a project in mind.....only there aren't enough strips.  So I will either need to try to find another jelly-roll or substitute some batiks or ???    We shall see.  I also bought that cute piece at the right to add to my novelty collection.  

Who would have done this?

(This is a terrible picture, I know.  I couldn't get it to focus.)

I get a kick out of reading the manuals that come with new appliances....especially all the warnings!   You just have to think in our age of lawsuits that someday had to have done the thing they are warning against.   So my question is:  Who would have done this?    What kind of person thought it would be a good idea to iron their clothes while wearing them?   

Gotta sigh and shake my head at this one!

Vacation over

This is us....day one of our vacation on Maui.   We had a wonderful time relaxing, lots of new adventures and time spent alone.  Sadly it's over and it's back to regular life.  
Since I know that you guys who read my blog are also on Facebook, I decided not to post more pics here.  You can see most of them in my Facebook album.  
Yeah for vacations!

Biking a Volcano

We are here.....on Maui.  

Today was special so I decided to do a quick blog post and share.   But to start I have to show you the view from the beach just in front of our hotel.   Isn't it gorgeous?   Yup.  Totally.

Haleakala is the volcano that dominates the island.   It's a bit over 10,000 feet.   We did one of the bike rides that goes down the volcano.   Instead of a group ride, we did it freestyle.....meaning the tour company provided us with all the gear and hauled us up, then left us to descend and return to their shop at our own pace.   The only way to do this, in my opinion!    It was so much fun.    Here we are at the start:

This is a view towards Kihea...the town we are staying in.....at the beginning of the ride.   The sky is so blue and the ocean so blue that you can hardly tell where one starts and stops.    We didn't get many pictures on the ride as we were going downhill to fast to take pics and I didn't really want to stop every two minutes to take them. 

We passed through a grove of eucalyptus trees.  Oh boy was the smell wonderful!   The trees were beautiful.

It only took us about an hour and a half to get down the volcano and back to Haiku where the shop was.  Pretty fast.  We're looking forward to going back to Haleakala to do some hiking in the crater later this week.   After returning our bikes we stopped in Paia.....hippy town as one sign said.   LOL!   Had a wonderful lunch and did some shopping. 

Once back to our hotel we did what we've been doing every evening.  Suits on....relax on the beach, watch the humpback whales in the distance and wait for the sun to set.  

Aloha!

First Bike

Last weekend the grandsons were over for a visit.   It was Liam's 5th birthday!  Here he is on his birthday present.    After many times around and around the house.....and lots of tire marks inside........it was time to head to a park and use sidewalks.   Boy did watching Liam on his first bike ride bring back a multitude of memories....both of my kiddo's and their first bikes, as well as my own.   The only time I've broken a bone was falling off my first bike and breaking my wrist.   It never deterred me from riding.  I have always loved the feeling of freedom while riding....still do.    In fact, I'm looking forward to a bike ride with hubby in Maui on our upcoming vacation.  Woo hoo!  

This pic cracks me up!  It's David's boot after he was done playing in our creek!  Little guys simply don't stay upright when splashing and jumping in water.  He loved every minute of it!   

Free Block of the Month

Isn't that a cute block?   It's part of a new block of the month offered by Bunny Hill Designs called "Snowbound".   I'm sharing this with you cuz Anne Sutton (the designer) just started this quilt in January....so it's not too late to get started if you're so inclined!    Click on "free patterns" on the left hand side of her welcome page.        Anne designs the cutest blocks!   And the best part is they are FREE for the year....after that she'll still have the patterns available but you'd have to purchase them.   

Kitsap Guild Quilt Show

Yesterday I went to the Kitsap Quilt Guilds annual show.  Haven't been to a show in quite a while so it was great to see so many wonderful creations and be inspired.  The day was all the more fun since I knew so many of the quilt makers....thank you job at a quilt shop!!!

Isn't this one spectacular?  It's called "Aurora" and was made by Darlene Calvert.

I really love how this gal took often made blocks and "pumped it up" with those wonderful borders.   I'm not positive about who made this....silly me didn't take notes....but after reading the catalog I think it's Lynn D. Green's "Misty Mountain Pond".   Someone correct me, if you know for sure.

This is a quilt that I saw several versions of.....this coloring was my favorite.   I don't know what the pattern is called but I'm trying to find out cuz I want to make one.   I'm currently enjoying making easy quilts that showcase fabrics rather than intricate piecing.    Oh, this one was made by Linda Moran.  (PS. I found the pattern. It's called The Big EZ from Bloom Creek)

Fabric Friday

This one's just for fun!  :)     

The theme for this weeks Yaya Photo Challenge is "Signs".   I was at a local quilt show today with a fellow Yaya and she pointed out this bolt and said it'd work for our challenge.  Yes, it would.  But I decided I'd post it here for Fabric Friday.   I also bought some French Fry & Pizza fabric to add to my Junk Food collection.  So excited that I found Pizza!!!

Design Wall Monday - Lemon Chiffon

I don't participate in Design Wall Monday very often cuz my design wall doesn't change frequently enough!   But I did put up some blocks from a very old project....determined to FINISH it this time.   I took a class from Sandy Bonsib years ago through our local quilt guild.  She was just starting her quilt series on color value (titles are dessert names).  She was teaching "Lemon Chiffon"...a value study on lights.  She was a good teacher but I didn't dig an entire quilt of lights, so I never finished the blocks.   I figure its time to just be done.  I can use the top as practice for the long arm machine and then it can be a baby quilt for some one.

Speaking of the long arm machine.  Tink and I were able to work together last week and she was my teacher for the day on the shops HQ Avante.   I am trying to learn the computerized part of it.   I loaded my Warm Wishes quilt and away we went.  Tink was a super duper teacher and I came away feeling much more confident.  Not ready to fly solo yet....but I feel closer to that time than ever before.  

Valentines fun in Picnik

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.  It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."

- Judy Garland

Just cuz!    :)

Quilt Showing

Back in December I posted about my "Roosting Robin" challenge quilt.  Our small group was invited to show our challenge quilts in a local gallery for the month of February....of course, we said yes!    Last Friday was the reception. I have to admit it was exciting to see my quilt hanging some where other than a guild quilt show.   Not all of our group finished their quilts but were invited to bring a different small quilt to display.  Only Tink took advantage of that.

Here I am with my "Anchor of My Soul" quilt:

The display signs....the one of the right shows the rules we had for each round:

Gretchen is the gal who got us our gig.  Here she is with her challenge quilt:

Diane with her challenge quilt:

Trish with her challenge quilt:

Wanda with her challenge quilt:

I totally forgot to take a pic of Tinks display quilt (sorry girl!) but you can see it at her blog.

Our quilts will be hanging through the month of February.  So if you're in the area, stop by the Verksted Gallery in downtown Poulsbo and take a peek.

Beach Projects

Projects are always a part of my beach vacation.  I don't usually get much done for being gone 3 whole days but hey...productivity isn't the point of vacation!   :)

This is the little bag I made one day.  I'm not so patient with little things.....I get frustrated quickly and spend a lot of time sighing and sitting there wanting to quit but determined not to.  The girls would tell you I whine a bunch.   Not sure what I'll do with it.   It's called "Puffy Pouch".

I did a little sewing on some quilt blocks but didn't take any pics. 

But here is Tink sewing away on a lovely bag she made:

 Melis brought her watercolors this year and did some beautiful flowers:

Melis and Yvonne were my mentors on jewelry making.  Doing beadwork is another "little things" project....which means Cindy was whining.  I think I was complaining about my fingers feeling like they were the size of bratwurst and the girls were teasing me. 

Playing with Henna was a new thing this year.  It was fun!

This wasn't a project but it was a first in our 10 years of winter beach vacationing.   Tink and I put on our suits and went in the ocean.  It was all Tink's idea.......I went along for the dare.....we weren't even drinking at this point!  LOL!!  So this is the proof  that we actually went in.  I was a wimp and didn't get very far out in the water.....my poor feet were numb within a minute! 

One quick pic before we jumped in the fabulous hot tub to warm up!

Thanks girls for a fun filled 3 days.  Till next year!

Beach Memories

My three days at the beach were loads of fun.  Us girls continued many traditions from the past....good food, laughter, movie watching, projects to work on, beach walks, lots of talk....as well as adding some new ones.

One new thing was the house we stayed in.  Last year we had to find a new house that was cheaper than the one we'd been renting but we didn't like it enough to go back.  So this year the search was on and we succeeded!  This new place rocked!  I sure hope they don't raise the rent and we can continue to stay here.

Isn't it lovely?  

This is the view outside from the master suite upstairs:

We stayed on the Washington coast in the town of Moclips.  What I love about Moclips is how close the beach is to the houses.  No cliffs.....the dunes are small....its so dang close!  Even though we go in winter, we always have nice days for beach walking:

That's it for now.  Later I'll share some of the projects we worked on.  :)