Fall Recap - read all about it!!

Early in September a friend, K, came over to help clear the sewing room.  Even though the sewing room is larger than the Rainbow Rock sewing space … storage is all mixed up throughout the new apartment.  And even after clearing out a BUNCH of quilting fabrics, tools, patterns and books during the move -  I’m still stuck with no actual working space!  Sigh!  However, the timing was perfect to make room for my friend coming to visit for a week!

K helped a lot, gave me good energy to get back to sewing.  BUT still stuffed in my space.  So I joined the DeClutter andDeStash challenge.  It was really good for taking a realistic inventory – Martinis that night to drown my overwhelming emotions!!  

The timeline was pretty short.  I was able to keep up for a few weeks, but then it was deep into fall and Xmas prep.  Going to revisit it in January – run through the steps a few times more. Fingers crossed.  I mean really – I’m 69 years old, how many projects do I have left in me???  Let’s say 10 more years – say 10 projects a year … probably pie in the sky. I have more than 100 UFOs / WIPS.  I suspect I’ll find more “Oooo – I want this” projects on the horizon.  But don’t you hate to give up on promising projects – the potential you’re going to miss out on!!

In summer, I entered the #100dayhandsewing challenge on Instagram.  It was fabulous!!  I’ve been working on – okay, getting ready to work on “Wool around the Garden”  A BOM in Quiltmania 6 years ago – but I really got it going during those 100 days.  And it’s so much fun to make sure you have a project to work on for tv or God forbid football evenings.  :>

 

 

We went up to Portland for Miss P’s 15^th birthday.  They grow so fast! 

Then a visit from one of my friends. She's the kind that it always seem that you just talked.  No awkward silences – no ‘not getting it’!  She was here for 7 days.  We never ran out of conversation or laughter.  Funniest part was the inspection of new quilts!!  We walked the Redwoods and a lot of beaches – voting on favorites!  We sat and watched a huge tide coming in against the sea stacks at Lone Ranch Beach.  I even talked her into joining the Tai Chi in the park.  Hmmm, she thought she’d try to find a class back home.  I’ll have to bring that up next phone call!

Now that's close inspection!!

The next visitor was our son A.  We had missed quite a few chances to get together since summer.  Covid and child germ bombs!  (His definition!)  He needed to come over and inspect the new digs; walk a few beaches and watch football with Dad.  Before he left, K(8) asked him tearfully why he had to leave for the weekend.  A(46) replied, “I miss my mommy!”  K blinked and couldn’t argue with that!!  Before I let A leave, he helped me clear the garage and put up a shelf.

Good thing – the weather had changed and the cover was off the Band Shell and we needed a place to do Tai Chi.  When we first saw the new apartment’s garage – my first thought was “I think we could hold Tai Chi here!!!”  It’s an oversized double stall garage AND there is a large window on the back wall – so some natural light and weather protection.  It holds 5-8 of us pretty well.  We’ve been meeting twice a week the last 3 months.  We like to keep the garage door open for the air.  We really can’t meet if it’s under 50 degrees or with rain and wind coming from the South. Works well except for that last few weeks.

I have to tell you about the coolest thing since sliced bread.  Stas Gallery Wall.  In the new apartment we have a large wall with a light switch and the thermostat in the middle-ish.  Not too convenient.  Found the Stas system on Amazon.  The big draw was you can change things out without any additional holes, etc!  There’s a top ‘bar’ that goes across and hanging clips from there.  We had our handy man hang the bar … we really don’t like to do ladders anymore!  Within 15 minutes of him hanging it I had 4 quilts hanging up!!  Then I change it out every month or so!  So much fun!  A real showcase when hosting my quilt group!  I’ve had so much fun with it already.  Check into it!  It can hang pictures too.

One day DH and I were walking the beach at Crissey Field Visitor Center and lo and behold – there was a pumpkin tide!!  Yep, pumpkins had washed up on the beach!  So cool to wander by! There was double-takes and wonder!

Winter storms come from the south out here.  (Bad weather from the south?? Not what we’re used to from Nebraska.)  Our new apartment bedroom has large windows facing South.  The really big storms pound on the glass, squall after squall!  One night I actually dreamed it was the tide hitting the window!  I was not reassured when I woke up.  It did sound rhythmic like the tides.

 

Thanksgiving was a trip to both kids’ houses.  And we knew it was going to be a great trip!  We saw NINE rainbows on the way!  Some were to the right, one was to the left and several were Full or (double) rainbows.  We started seeing them 30 miles from home.  They continued all the way to Portland 300+ miles away.   Of course, that was some storm front that went that far!!  A pre-Christmas gift was going to the Van Gogh Experience with the Portland and gang.  It was wonderful.  If you are able to catch it somewhere – go!  Totally worth it.

 

Entertainment at the Medford gang’s house was playing games.  All kinds of games.  DH and the boys had many War card games over the 3 days we were there.  We played Azul and Catan and E (4) played cut-throat Go Fish with the most beautiful deck!  Very fun!

So now you and I are all caught up!!  See you at the year summary!  

Summertime is fleeing!

Just settling in to normal life again after wedding rush. My computer had to go into the shop - he said to bring any computer programs I wanted him to load - and silly me, I thought, I have everything on here I want. Oh--h, he meant RE-load after he wiped the drive clean!! The computer is still not running well [crap!!] - and I have to find my photo software so I can load all the pictures from my camera! Until then - you'll just have to make do without pictures.

We were in the Valley last week - traveling from Newport to Portland to Talent ... and it was really, really hot! We are simply not acclimated to 100+ degrees anymore. The average temp in Brookings is 58 in the month of July! [I know - we were amazed too!]

We took the Portland grandkids to the park early in the mornings while it was still tolerable. Tried to interest them in movies in the afternoon after nap. Miss P is almost 4 and she has changed so much. She loves climbing the playground equipment now - that's new - before she was pretty much a big chicken! Mr M wants to do anything Miss P can do. He wound his way up and thru the equipment to slide down the 7 ft slide so many times he was staggering on the last trip!

We ate out and shopped too. I ordered new glasses this trip - should be here next week. DH doesn't like the wire rims I've had for 3 years ... the next ones are black plastic rims. [Hello, Buddy Holly!!] But I'll be glad to get them. These have been a pain lately - falling off every time I lean over!

In Talent we stayed with the newlyweds. We went out to dinner and breakfast everyday. DH went golfing and J2 and I went shopping in Ashland for a whole day! Two quilt stores and an awesome consignment store we both love. Bargains were had!

After six days out and about in the heat - coming home to 63 degrees felt wonderful. It's been grey [but cool] ever since. I'm putting back together my sewing space. I've got to get that under control soonest!

I need to 'spread out' enough to work but not so much that I can't quickly stash it all away to bring back in the twin beds for company. We hung the quilt racks in there this week - two of them that fit perfectly along the long wall. So I got my design wall back up. I thought I'd need it ASAP for Miss P's new nap blankie - and I might have IF I hadn't made a cutting error with the rail fence blocks. [For goodness sakes, how long have I been doing this?? Long enough to know better!! (or not)] I had a weird size block I needed to make - due to wanting to use every inch of a focus fabric I had - and figured the size out BUT forgot to add the seam allowances. I frog-stitched all of them [grumpy, grumpy] and will recut the middle rail tomorrow. It's the only fabric I have enough of to recut bigger!

Honestly, between making a 'non-scrap' quilt and using stash for most of it ... I think I need to go back to my usual: Carefree scrap quilts that grow like zucchinis in August!! Enjoy!! Photos soon, I promise.

'Winter' weather continues here!

Last week we had 2 blue sky days, 1 grey sky days and 4 days of monsoons!! We got 5 inches of rain in 2 days!! Unusual weather for June - or so we think!! Probably only because we're here! And it IS a small condo with a golfer stuck inside! On the 3rd day of monsoon, DH turned and asked, "and why did you drag me here???" LOL!

Today I gave up and went to the grocery store to buy supplies for soups! If that doesn't bring the good weather - nothing will!

Having my sewing machine set up all the time has been so much fun! Since I haven't had a dedicated sewing space for 2+ years ... I'd forgotten the joy of 'popping in' and sewing for a few minutes. Someone on Stashbusters suggested that at the end of your sewing time, however short, you quickly set up for the next session. Amazing tip! You're actually anxious to get back in there because you know that within a minute or two, you'll be whizzing along!

I'm ready to bind the (2nd) watermelon wall quilt, this one is for the Newport Guild Show Silent Auction in August. I'm hoping to hand it in Thursday when I'm there for the June meeting. But I have to find the green binding I 'put somewhere safe' Lord, help me!

Next up - or should I say - still up - the alphabet quilt from the ABC back to school exchange I hosted last year. I can't find the fabric I'd like to use to enlarge the back. Then of course, there's the problem of a dry space outside to spray baste ... BUT if I can find both the fabric and the green binding today - I'll be doing a happy dance for sure!

I went to water aerobics this week - in an outdoor pool for the first time. The weather has been so rotten, and water aerobics is at 8 am - there's only been one day it wasn't pouring at 8 am. I'm glad to report that the water was warm; and the teacher was a young man with an exercise science degree and he worked all muscle masses. Not bad at all. Hoping for clear mornings the next two days - so I can do it again before heading back up to Newport for a few days.

Off to the sewing room, to see what I can find! Sorry for the lack of pictures lately - hopefully next week. Haven't got my desktop computer set up and storage space is beginning to be an issue on this laptop ... I know, excuses, excuses!! But at least I feel guilty about it!!

The grand tour of the sewing space!

Okay - I took some pictures - although the sewing room isn't totally done yet - [insert dining room whining here]

#1 is looking into the sewing room from the doorway. The table for computer and sewing machine will be to the right of the tv - about where those baskets are sitting on the floor. IF our dining room table EVER arrives! [insert more whining here!]

#2 is the 3 bookcases [upright] in the sewing room. In there are the kits, UFOs, books, knickknacks and tools. It was kind of organized - then I had to stuff more into the cubbies. That's DH's hairy leg kicking in from the doorway - who knows why! - no extra charge!!!

#4 is the stash storage - which is actually out in the dining room area. The bins are clear and this shows what you can see without the handy dandy inserts we designed, cut and installed all by ourselves!We need one more blue mat from the frame shop to cut up and insert them into these 4 bins.

#5 is 3 of the Expedit bookcases sitting horizontally from Ikea with plastic bins covered. It also shows you our elegant dining area with the computer table and 2 folding chairs!

Tada - that's the tour! I'm almost afraid to get out anything to sew - it's gonna make a mess sure as the world! [Don't worry - I'll get over it!]

Thursday we leave for Portland to babysit Miss P in the evening. Friday, all of us go to Sisters for the big show. The boys golf and us girls shop. At least until Miss P's nap. Saturday I go to the Quilt show when the guys head for the golf course AGAIN. Evenings we walk about in Bend during the art/music festival. Oh, and we eat delicious food again and again!!! Yummm!

I'll check in when we get back! Have a great week!