So sorry - Nope, I didn't fall off the edge of the earth - even though I live there!

Oh dear! Mea culpa!

Summertime and the living is easy - NOT!!! These daisies are on our path to the beach and they are thriving this year.  There's just something about daisies that cheers you up every time you see them. Now my computer is not cooperating.  I'm not a fan of 'center' alignment.  But apparently that's what I'm going to have today!

We've been traveling alot - Portland, Talent and Newport this week!!  I'm glad to report all is well.  Miss P finished her first year of school with flying colors.  She said she cried all the way home on the bus.  My DSIL said he did too!!!  But I think it was for different reasons!!

Baby K is thriving in Talent and at 2 1/2 months he's just perfect!  Starting to smile and paying attention to what's going on around him.  Mr D is so-o-o-o two years old!!  But he's a good big brother, pretty understanding of Baby K's interruptions and busy, busy, busy!

I've been working on my house blocks.  One weekend when DH was off golfing, I designed the 3 extra blocks we needed to make it square-ish.  It was such a relief to have that done!  All I really did was use some houses in the designer's book "Houses, Houses, Houses" for one block.  Recombine BOM houses from the other blocks and then add in a schoolhouse from another pattern.  Not rocket science but daunting nevertheless!

Finishing the embroidery on block 6 while my sewing machine is in the shop for it's well-child checkup.Then on the machine embroider on the new blocks.  Hope to have a picture or two for you to see next time.  Yes, I do hope it's less than a month away!!

Sum, sum, summertime to you!!! Remember that song???

Home again, home again and all is well!

April was a stressful month!  But at the end of it - all is well!

First, of course, darling Mr K was born.  He's doing so well and big brother is adorable with him.  His little voice making two syllables into 4+.     You should hear what he can do with "Hi!"  Too cute!

Then we had a scare with my dear SIL.  He's a jogger - training for a marathon and had a spot on his nether-areas.  He went to his GP and he said, "Hmmm, I pretty sure that's a bug bite, but I am concerned with this that I found. You're going to a Urologist."

Long 'nail-biting' story shortened -- after blood tests; Ultra-sound, CAT scan, MRI.  The Urologist wasn't sure what it was but  said, "I want it out."  Well, it was testicular cancer.  J is 35 this week and we thank God for that bug!  It was pre-stage1.  He's cancer-free and will be scanned several times a year for a while - but there's no sign of it spreading anywhere.  Of course, there always is the shock of going to a dr for a bug bite and finding out you have cancer!  But he's getting his mind around it.

When I was up there, he said - in a very pitiful voice, "L can you get me a glass of juice, because I have testicular cancer!?!?!"

I replied,"J."
"Yes, Mom?"
"You can get your own juice because you are a CANCER SURVIVOR!"
"Yes, Mom!"

So poor L - 9 months pregnant with twins (she was a surrogate for good friends of theirs.) was the caregiver for J after surgery.  It was a long week before he got the "All Clear".  L said, "Now we can finally relax!  Well, until labor!!"

The twins were born April 20.  The little girl was 4'12 and the big brother was 5'14!!  There was the usual concerns about twins, but all was well and they should be released today from the hospital.

L was so anemic they kept her 2 days in the hospital after a natural birth; and gave her two units of blood. But she is bouncing back in her usual style! Sunday they were all at the zoo!!

And during this period my mom was in the hospital for pneumonia for the 3rd time this year.  She's back home and I'll be seeing her Mother's Day for my spring visit.  Hey, Nebraska! Spring weather would be appreciated!! Work on that, would you???

I missed my Bayshore Babes quilt retreat while helping up at Portland.  But I was on my way home Thursday and they were still all there - so I stopped by, stayed the night and had a great time vegging out after a stressful month! Thanks, Babes, for the warm welcome for someone who was 4 days late!!!

I managed to get my house blocks done.  We're getting together tomorrow to start the last two blocks in the original pattern.  We, of course, are adding 3 blocks to make it square and top and bottom borders of mountains and ocean!!  Might as well make it your own especially if you're starting it late anyway!!

Here's the link to the first 2 blocks.  And here are the blocks - officially block 4 and 5:

These are 'almost' done - there's some animals but I think they need to be enlarged just a skootch!  I machine blanket stitch around them and they are pretty darn small!  But that means I have to be organized enough to remember to take the patterns into town and stop at the copy shop!  Hasn't happened yet!

Miss P is in an "ARTIST" stage.  She had me pose with a can of Sierra Mist!!  And my, she was cranky when I moved at all!!  But I really think she "GOT ME"!!!  What do you think??  Friends told me it looked like I was holding a cell phone, but that couldn't be right - my cell phone is always in the other room!!! LOL!

We had gorgeous weather yesterday - and an awesome low tide too!!  Here's some photos taken with my phone - just to urge you to visit the Oregon coast - especially on the gorgeous days!!!

That's home!  Last building on the left!

Tide pools - always fun to poke around in!

Wide beaches to walk.

View from the top of the hill where we started!

Enjoy spring wherever you are!!

He's Here!!!

Mr K made his debut Tuesday, April 2, 2013.  Welcome to the family, Cutie-Pie!!

We got to meet him on Tuesday when we hurried across the mountains to see him.  We met the babysitter and took Mr D to the hospital to meet his new brother.  Very exciting!  Mr D will be 2 next week.  Here he is playing "yogurt" games with Papa.  Although he can certainly feed himself, we love interacting with him whilst he's trapped in the high chair.  It's about the only time we can get an 'in focus' picture of him. The rest are blurs as he runs by!!!

Don'cha just love the toes bracing against the high chair tray shown below!!

Although I bound Mr K's baby quilt and added handquilting details in the little panels at their house - I'm happy to report the baby quilt was done within 2 days of Mr K's debut!!  Why - that's practically a miracle!!

Beach Baby - approximately 40 x 55 - lasagna quilt with beach panels added.

A couple of years ago I started picking up ziplock baggies of beach fabrics at sales.  Last year, in the midst of a sewing space clean-up, I decided to see how far they would take me.  Now you quilters know, that you always end up adding from your own stash ... like the white fishie strips were from Miss P's Fish quilt, but I made THREE baby quilt tops from the baggies+!!

I really shudder to think how many quilts I can make from the stash!!!  BUT moving on ... J&A picked this top for Mr K last fall when we knew he was coming.

I used Warm 'N Natural batting; a nautical flannel backing from JoAnn's - I fell in love with the little crabs!  I walking foot quilted it.  In the close ups you can see my Washable marker markings on the borders - the pictures were taken before I washed it before leaving it there.

Sleep tight, Little One.  Nana will be back soon!!

Still crazy here!!

First I want to say - if you ever have a chance to go to a Quiltmaker Block Party - GO!  It was awesome.  We had so much fun and were treated like royalty!  The Jantzen Beach Red Lion is a great resort hotel.  The classrooms have floor to ceiling windows looking out over the Columbia River.  We had a great rainbow one of the days.  Yep - our days all blended together into wonderful memories of a great time.  
Please excuse the cell phone pix.  They're good, but not as good as the Nikon.  Of course, you have to haul the Nikon around .... choices, choices!!                                                                 

The rainbow was at a low angle - simply awesome!

Midnight flight was a HARD block - with 3 picky points!  But Bonnie's classes are always worth it!

Debbie Caffery is a great teacher - made us feel talented!!  Thanks, Debbie.

Jo Morton - from Nebraska too!!  Hand piecing, just the class to end the Block Party

The roomies from Newport!  It was such a party!!!  Thanks, gals!

A big shout out to Mary - we took the same classes the whole time!

Then I brought the Portland grandkids home with me for their school spring break.  At 4 and 6 their schedules are getting busy - we fit them in while we can.  Luckily, the weather was 'not March-ish' and we had an awesome low tide last week.  The beach is very popular with them.  There are rocks to find and/or throw into the ocean; lots of sand to draw on; driftwood to race to the ocean in streams; and well, needless to say we have to drag them off the beach every night.

I usually draw a heart on the beach - it started as proof I was down there!  But who can resist such a giant drawing space???

Castle building 101 - that's too close to the waves, buddy!!

"Sheriff"  Miss P drawing the line so no one gets too close to the stream we're throwing pieces of driftwood into. Papa was picking them out of the rocks and tossing them down to the beach - Mr M throwing them into the stream as fast as he could - trying to keep up with Papa!!

Hard to keep them in focus - always on the move on the beach!  Things to throw, things to climb!

Got'cha, you two little cuties!!

THE bench on the way back up.  Miss P sat with me here the first night and said, "It's so nice to hear the ocean waves again."  Yep, she must be 'channeling' a little old lady!!

I'm so excited - I've wrapped/gift-bagged all the new baby clothes. [ I went a little crazy at the Carter's Outlet at Woodburn!]  AND completed 4 flannel receiving blankies for Mr K;  AND finished binding on an UFO!  Ta-da!!!

Presenting "It's A Garage Sale Thing" - and what a story!  By the way, there's a top border, like the bottom border, folded down.  If you listen carefully, you can hear my DH holder/folder mumbling about the awkward size!!

I've had this quilt top for 5+ years.  Funny story!  When I moved to Oregon I had a giant garage sale - lots of quilt stuff.  Double car garage - absolutely filled to the brim!  A friend bought the giant baggie of squares - ala Bonnie Hunter style!  She made them into 9patches, one of my absolute favorite blocks!!

On that same weekend a mutual friend was also having a garage sale - the floral fabric was acquired there!  The friend then put together the quilt top and showed it to me.  I loved it and bought it from her!!!!  It now reminded me of all 3 of us!!!  It was like hiring a subcontractor to sew my quilt!!  

Only thing - it seemed a little too short for us tall people!!  So I hunted and found a green border for top and bottom.  As you can see - that one didn't work as well as it promised to!!  So last fall in Nebraska, I found the red stars - perfection!!  I had the Ladies Altar Society in Lincoln hand quilt it for me.  And I bound it - just tonight!!

A finish just in time - for the end of the quarter .... for getting me out of the top 20 in the UFO challenge... and  it also is registered in our guild's UFO challenge!  Triple delight!!

Don't know when I'll get back to you!!  Babies coming at us from all directions!  I'll let you know how everything goes ... eventually!!  Happy Spring!!!

Lots to cover!! Wear your tennies because I'll be jumping around!

 Here are the pincushions I made for the Finishing School.  I love how they turned out.  That's the 3inch paper-pieced house that's been on the web this year.  I kept screwing up the words in the sash "Azalea Finishing School 2013"  I stopped counting how many times I had to rewrite them.  Retrace them on the light table, that is.  It was mostly a spacing issue and I was always too close to each word for a seam allowance.  Next time I'll cut the sashes first and then center the words best I can.  Rick wanted to have me write "Inaugural Finishing School" but it just didn't space out correctly!

My thoughts are there will be a dated pincushion for each year!  Same pattern but different colors.  Big plans ... but I DO have a year!!  Who am I fooling???  I'll be sewing them frantically the weekend before!

The Azalea Finishing School of 2013 was a great success.  There were just 7 of us, but everyone 'played nice' and no one ever felt left out. Everyone worked together and it was so relaxing to be together.  One friend who had to be in Europe [poor baby] instead of with us; actually said on a phone call to one of the gals - I WISH I WAS THERE!!!  LOL! But it WAS bad weather in Italy that day, not that we believed her - but how fun that she said it!!!

It was pretty awesome space above the Bandon Quilt Store; a few problems, but we made the most of it. Here is our "Class of 2013" yearbook picture!!

We had a wonderful time and boy - was the quilt shop accommodating!  We could run a tab for the 3 days!!  Before you think the worst - 2 gals had less than $10 owed at the end; and yes, 2 gals had more than $100 but the majority were in between!!  Including me!  It was tempting not to keep slipping down there to 'look around' - it's a very good quilt store!

The first day I worked on my Quiltmania BOM - dreaded block 5!!  SEVEN houses, and they are in 'piles'! I just have to add the details and then I'll show you.  These blocks are coming out so-o cute!

Second day I worked on a selvedge project - and I have enough trouble staying on my half of the table in normal sewing.  There are no boundaries with strip piecing!!  Here's my workspace!  My table mate was very nice about it - of course, she had an 'end table' in the corner to retreat all supplies to!

My third day was working on the blocks for the Portland Block party exchange ... I creatively used the reverse side after a cutting disaster!!

AND Finishing School for 2014 is already filled!!  Feels like success to me!

Miss P and I have a lot of fun with the paper dolls I gave her for Christmas.  Mommy very wisely says she can only get them out when Nana is there ... So every trip we work for hours!  She dictates which clothes to cut out and she's in charge of pasting them on.  Here's my favorite - out of dozens of fashionable models - I loved it so, I had to swipe it for my fridge!!  Presenting Mr Pirate!!   We had to fringe his jeans.  Miss P added a parrot for his shoulder and a sword in his hand!  She's brilliant ... at least to us!

The carpet cleaner is coming this week.  Oh dear, this condo is doing a good job of trying to be bigger ... there is stuff under every bed and piled in the cupboards and most of all the closets.  Rick went golfing this weekend and I tackled the sewing room!  The sewing room won, of course, but I did stuff almost everything back into it's assigned area.  Those plastic tubs I emptied of holiday decorations are now full of sewing room supplies.  I have a new method for projects in the sewing room ... Miss P and Mr M will be here in 3 weeks for a few days.  So I also have to keep it clean and safe for them.  So my trial period will be these two weeks before I leave for Portland Block Party.  I bring the kids back with me.

Here's the plan.  One project at a time - I know it's not rocket science, but it certainly isn't my SOP!!  Right now it's the flannel receiving blankets that I thought I could teach a group to make with the flannel I got on sale - never happened.  But I have enough flannel to make 12 blankies.  They were supposed to be done for the Community Baby Shower - that was last weekend, but like Christmas it will come around again!!

We DO have babies coming out our ears this spring [don't write me, I know it's not our ears!!!] so 8-10 can go to them.  One of L's college friends just sent a birth announcement to me ... one more down!  With any luck - I'll have them all gone soon and will be more circumspect about how much flannel I buy - no matter the sale!!

Next project will be PJ pants for the grandkids' Easter presents.  I do have to organize all the supplies for the classes I'll be taking at Block Party ...its quite the list ...  but I'm waiting until after the carpet cleaning to start that.

I do have a quilt I'm binding by hand in the livingroom. Whoo-hoo!  Finished UFO on the way!  AND 12 blocks for the Block Party Exchange waiting to be machine blanket-stitched.

Christmas stockings are cued up for next year - including some commissioned stockings.  If I could get them done, mad-money for the block party.  Yes, I know I'm 'pie in the sky' here.  Fall-back - mad money for Sisters in July????

I just finished reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  Have you read it??  It was a real page turner.  In fact, when I absolutely couldn't finish it  Friday night, I started reading it again first thing Saturday morning!  If you've read it - let me know what you think!!

Okay - I think we're all caught up!  I'll let you know how the new plan works ... if the whole thing doesn't just suck all the joy out of quilting!!  I did have to put my mini log cabin project in the storage closet.  I'm hoping it will encourage me to get my list done, I've promised myself that it will be back soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I have been so-o busy this winter. I have been quilting my little head off!  It's been G*R*E*A*T!!  So far, in January we had a workshop with Melinda Bula - what a gal!!  So organized, so interesting and funny too!  We thoroughly enjoyed her workshop - making her Sunflower.  Way out of my box - I made a folk-art-y one, determined to work out of my stash.  All in all, a fun day.

This last weekend we had a 'in-town' retreat.  18 of us gathered at the conference center and plugged in our machines and sewed like the wind!!  We were gathered to work on a new technique for "Jack's Chain" and the majority did so.  But there were a few 'renegades', moi, for one!!

But I really couldn't force myself to start a new project with my sewing space in shambles with all this other stuff I HAD already started!  So, I did my own thing!  [I hear that snickering!!!]  Yes, its not that unusual for me to do my own thing.

So I took a few projects along:  I blanket-stitched my Quiltmania BOM houses.  There is A LOT of stitching on those cute little things.  Well worth the trouble, but ... more time needed than planned for.

Stashbusters is having a applique block a month challenge. My thought was to use the Houses for my assigned block to finish.  I missed the January deadline BUT I have January and February done now!!  [insert happy dance]  And they are wonderous!!

Block 1 had 2 houses on it and a dog and a bird in the tree.  I fringed the 'grass' so it looks like it's ready to be mowed!

Then we skipped to Block 3 - also 2-ish houses.  It IS the fun part of doing a BOM late - you can take the blocks out of order!  I wanted to break up the 2 complicated blocks. Block 3 has a dog, a cat on the roof and a bird headed for the fruit tree.  Details on the cat are yet to be hand-embroidered.  Fun, fun, fun!

Well, today P and I got together for the 2nd work session for Block 5 - SEVEN houses, and they are kind-of in stacks!!  We were shocked, shocked I tell you, when our first session 11am -3pm was over and we didn't even have all the pieces cut out!  I'm happy [and tired] to say, Block 5 is fused together.  10am - 3pm again, but at least they're fused and no longer in little bitty pieces. AND it's darn cute!  You'll have to wait to see that one.

This weekend I also worked on the Flowers in Vase BOM for Newport.  N was so organized when we set this BOM up, that we got all 20 blocks, in a notebook to boot!  I decided I can make my own rules [!] and since everything I have seems to get taken out for any project [what? you don't work like that???]  so-o I'm going to do 2 month's worth applique BOM this month and 2 months worth of paperless-paper-piecing Mariner's Compass next month.  The flowers are designed in tone-on-tone fabrics and the compass is batiks.  I can get in a groove and only get out one mess each month.  So far so good.

I also packed up flannel to make 4 baby recieving blankies.  Now, mind you, I thought I'd do all of that Saturday. LOL!  I did finish the houses and the flowers and ONE flannel blankie by Sunday afternoon; I'll just have to work on the blankies every week.

I'm off to Newport this week for the guild meeting - which happens to be on Thursday EVENING!  My DH is having a ball telling everyone that quilters prefer being with each other rather than their Valentines!  It is kind-of weird.  But I did remind him that he was going to be at the bowling alley Thursday night!  But he's there every Thursday.

We compromised with lunch out on Wednesday to celebrate.  Hope the weather holds.  We ate lunch out on the deck today.

Hope everyone has a lovey-dovey Valentine's Day.

January Posts - far and few between

Accept my apology for my disappearing act!  It's been that kind of month!

You may be talking to Royalty this week!!  I'm Lady-In-Waiting #5 on the UFO Queen's list on Stashbusters online.  That was as of 1-16-13 and Lord knows this list has been moving like the wind at Cape Blanco!! [120 mph winds are not unusual in winters!] I'm hunkering down; trying to find the easiest UFO to finish quick-like!  Wish me luck!

I'm wondering if I have lost my mind this year.  Those of you that know me can attest that I RARELY join in on BOMs,  Yes, I did one with Quilted Moose - those kits were just too fun to not join in!!!  But, usually I don't participate in guild offerings.  Well, not so much this year!!  I'm in FOUR!! Not counting poor "Farmer's Wife" that's been sitting neglected for 2 years!!

Brookings is having a 6 month BOM.  Started last fall - seemed easy enough and not too long.  So I joined.  At the Newport Guild, I joined the applique BOM at the beginning of the meeting [20 applique 'Flowers in a vase' blocks] and the "paperless paper piecing Mariner's Compass BOM at the end of the meeting!

Add the Quiltmania House BOM [so far my favorite, but don't tell anyone!] and I'll be lucky to get anything done besides these!  BUT I do have a plan.  Brookings has a "Fun Day" of sewing the last Monday of the month.  There's usually a class for a new technique but everyone is welcome to bring their own projects.  IF my Newport BOMs are not done by then - that's the projects I must work on. I sound sure of myself, we'll see if I can force myself to follow-thru with it!  Here's hoping!

P and I get together when we can and make the Quiltmania block together.  So far, we've managed once a month - and the excitement's building!!  We've done Block 1 and Block 3.  One of the joys of being behind on a BOM is you can switch them up.  Take them out of order. In this case, try to break up all the hard blocks from being in a row.

Off to the sewing room to glare at my UFOs!! All right, you UFOs better cooperate, I want a volunteer and I mean now and you better be easy!!