Family Fun in the Sun

We (as in Mom, Mike, Lynn, Jim & I) had a brief, fun visit to see the Pt. Ludlow contingency (as in Polly, Kathy, & Clay) yesterday. The weather was perfect, the winds were calm for the ferry crossing, and we had great food & conversation outside the Elvis Shack on the patio!  (Food always tastes better on a picnic, doesn't it?!)

 Polly & Kathy are always hostesses with the mostest!  Great to see the nineties girls together again!  Aren't they cute?

HiDef Slow Mo

We've watched water balloons splat, drops fall, etc. but you gotta love the dog shots (even if it is a commercial)!
I connected with this via one of my favorite sites I periodically visit, The Year in Pictures...

Wednesday on Whidbey

The Rest of Long Arm Day #9

Besides the garden quilt I shared, I finished two community quilts plus some additional placemats that had been requested at the craft day a couple of weeks ago.  One of the community quilts was made by someone else & just needed to be quilted & bound.  Fun colors, huh?

The second community quilt is one that's been in my UFO pile for a loooong time.  At a guild auction several years ago I got a small panel of preprinted flowers for less than a quarter.  Sometime after that I put some blocks together at a guild retreat & then they languished until now.  I got it put together with a rainbow border, got it quilted & bound.  It's a little smaller (49" x 45") so will likely go to a younger person.

I had fun quilting this one--trying out some different freehand patterns.  Control, control, control--the mantra of the long arm.  Slowly, I'm getting there--there are less obvious bloopers with each attempt!

Both quilts will launch on their way at the next guild meeting.

My Least Favorite Things About Quilting

Even things we like usually have some unpleasantries & we seldom talk about them--except maybe mumbling under our breath as we deal with them.  For some reason I was just reflecting on what those are in my quilting life.  Don't get me wrong;  I LOVE to quilt (as if you hadn't noticed!) & any frustrations usually fit into the 'don't sweat the small stuff' category.  But here are a few of my unfavorite things (can't you hear Julie Andrews singing in the background?):

• Making binding--a tedious task of cutting the strips, bias sewing the strips to the identified length, & then pressing in half.  I would add applying the binding, except I've gotten it down to a pretty easy process & once that's done, it's finished!  Viola!  Such a feeling of accomplishment!  So applying the binding is the home stretch--making the binding is not...
• Cleaning up studio space.  Cleaning is not my strong suit in any case--but once a project is completed, all of the remaining fabric, scraps, & general mess of creation need to be dealt with.  Some projects are messier than others--& it becomes exponential if there have been one or two 'emergency/gotta finish this NOW' projects tossed in the middle of the current project!  In the worst case senario, I can't see the 2' x 3' cutting mat on the work table, several fabric drawers have been so pilfered that they won't close, & the garbage is running over (to say nothing of the floor...).   I am, however, enough of a neat-nik that I enjoy the moment of a clean space after the last project and before the next one gets underway.
• Related to cleaning:  there's a place for everything & everything is in it's place, but where the heck IS it?!  I'm a firm believer in having things put away in project boxes, drawers, baskets, etc.  Occasionally, though, that works against you when you can't quite remember where you put the item that you most definitely need now! I hate time wasted going on the hunt. In most situations, I just leave off & go to the next task while I do the mind-file search, thinking through where something may have gone.  That usually works eventually--but if I'm stuck at a key point in a project, the hunt can waste time I'd rather be putting to good use! Rarely, an item never does turn up--or turns up when I've long since given it up for lost!  *sigh*
• An empty design wall.  It's just wrong.  Thank goodness it usually doesn't last long!  If push comes to shove, I drag out a UFO to put up.  It may not be the next project in the que but can use some idle looking & planning.  That can be related to the final one on the list...

• The project brainstorm that occurs in the middle of the current project--and completely derails me while I start throwing things together in a pile before I lose the light-bulb moment!  This phenomenon is DIRECTLY related to the long UFO list!  You can think up a variety of projects while you're working on this one!  It's like not being able to meditate successfully; while you're supposed to be focused on the here-and-now moment, you're mind is off on the future moment of the next project!  And just to be clear:  I love the brainstorming, next-great-idea process!  What I don't love is the pile(s) that gets created & now needs a home, a plan, etc.  Back to the cleaning items previously noted, right?!

Like I said,  'don't sweat the small stuff'--so now it's off my chest.
On to the next project...except where did I put that box?

The Garden Project

I had another great day at the long arm studio & I thought I would share one of the projects.  It's for our friends at the farm we've been getting our CSA share this summer.  We bartered an arrangement and Jim & I clearly felt we were the winners.  So on a little bit of a whim I found some fabric at work that looked like it would be fun to play with.  Here are the preprinted garden designs that I started with:

I added some fun fabrics for borders & details.  Then they looked like this:

Finally, I dug out all of the garden greens that would add interest for the background.  I got it quilted on Wednesday, the binding & label went on yesterday, & today it gets delivered as a little surprise when we pick up our veggies!  It's a nice size:  about 50" x 70". 

Artist in Residence

Another great addition to family festival weekend was the 'artist in action' in our own front yard!  

It was difficult to get pictures as Bill was a blur of action, plus you get distracted while you're watching!

The five-minute masterpieces are quite unique.  

We all had fun imagining Bill talking with the airport security folks when they couldn't quite tell what 'those things' were--and had him take the pan lids out of his bag for inspection.  Now there's a dedicated vacationer bringing a treat!   Nick has been bequeathed the supplies to carry on the spray-painting with flair.
Thanks Bill!

Wednesday on Whidbey

The Tall Ships Visited!

One of the great additions to Festival weekend: the tall ship came to town!  They moored at the wharf & provided walk on tours, trips around the cove & scheduled 'war engagements' complete with cannons.  Due to the weather being so unexpectedly hot and sunny & the great reception received, they opted to spend an additional day. What a treat!  I'm just sorry I didn't get better pictures...

You can see the masts of both ships peeking up behind the wharf.

The Hawaiian Chieftain, a steel hulled working vessel, taking a tour of the cove near sunset.

The Lady Washington under way across the Cove.  You might recognize the profile as that of the fleet-of-sheet "HMS Interceptor" in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. 

Both of these ships are very active on the Washington coast & participate in the spectacular tall ship gathering in Tacoma every three years--next scheduled for 2011.  (That gathering is in the Great Lakes this year & they'll be in Chicago soon, Joe & Amy!)

Vacation at Home!

The Pennsylvania family visit was a whirlwind of summer vacation fun!  Coincidental to the plane landing was a dramatic heat wave--summer arrived in full force with temps in the mid90's.  I know that pales in the face of the mid-western & eastern summer-to-date--but that's notable here, especially following the no-show summer we've had so far.  We were a little surprised--and opinions vary.  Some of us were pleased for the heat (like me!) but true Puget Sounders are not impressed by summer & begin to visibly wilt!  Regardless, we prevailed--and filled the days with food, fun & catch-up.  My sides still hurt from all the laughter!!

We started out in Langley on Thursday for a stroll through town, outdoor dinner of mussels, garlic fries & great water views.  

Included was a side trip to one of our favorite stores that has a trunk of the most amazing hats.  Aren't they the greatest?! 

A big part of the weekend was the festival.  The juried show was impressive--it gets better every year (even if this year Jim didn't get a ribbon!).  The street fair was better than usual, too, and really takes over the town.  

Here's one of many streets full of creativity, great tastes, humor & most excellent people watching.

Aren't these cute shoppers?  

We ended up back in Seattle for a final big family dinner, plus a game of Dictionary (thanks for hosting, Richard!)  The plane jets away today--over so quickly...  Thanks for coming, guys, and come again soon!

Festival Weekend

This might be a triple play weekend!

It's the Coupeville Festival--always a treat.
Julie & Bill are here from Pennsylvania--plus Richard & Nick,too.
And the weather just might be summer-like!
We'll take two out of three, though, as rain or shine, good times will be had by all--we'll report back next week.

Round Robin Update

A few months ago I noted the start of a new Round Robin project with my special quilting buddies.  At tonight's meeting we are making the fourth hand-off, so I thought I would share what I've been up to so far.  Due to some coming & going of a couple of members at the beginning, I somehow got to be the 'first' addition on two different projects.
The projects are still early on in the process--as the months go by they will get even more interesting!  I'll share the next few projects again in a few months.  There are two pictures here for each project (and as ever, you can click to enlarge).  The first one is how the project looked when I received it, the second is following my addition.

1.  Ginny's--a Christmas adventure

2.  Judy's (the other Judy!) red/white/blue was a challenge for me--and so unlike her!  I couldn't help but change it up a little--partially based on her comments when she brought it.  (love her dove...)  Added more doves, 'purple mountains', & a rainbow of diversity...

3. On Beth's (I love her batiks & dragonflies!) I used paintstix, ink & fiber paints for the graphics.  Only added an asymetrical border mostly as a size precaution--this one may get tooooo big (I'm only four out of twelve & the piece was over 34" when I got it...)

Wednesday on Whidbey

Newbie = Novice or Newcomer

Progress:  today I met my new co-workers (should be a great group!), got my office assigned (very nice), my computer log-in, keys...  and brought home an impressive pile of reading--the first of many like it!  8-}  Go back on Friday for a brief meeting to divvy up the class schedule.  'Official' start still about a month away, but nice to have some time to get acclimated.

Four different programs with four different student cohorts--all starting fall quarter.  (There is a two year cycle for many, and this is the year to start the 'new' groups.)  Also the quarter to start new text books, too.
So count me in the list of 'new', too--trying not to have eyes too wide!  Stay tuned...

Just When You Think It's Safe...

...something changes in the inner workings of Blogger, and there goes the blog format.
Easy come, easy go I guess!
So here we are with a new, although similar, layout that all of us need to adjust to.
Sorry.
And hopefully the tiny, unreadable color of 'Whidbey Island, Washington' will get corrected (or set free) soon. 
Carry on...

Yummmmm....

Isn't it great how this....

can become this (Rhubarb Stir Cake)!

 I'm still awaiting feedback from our 'tasting team' (portions were spread around the neighborhood) but it smelled so great just out of the oven!  Ah, summer...

Play Ball!

What a fun summer evening treat--baseball in the minor league park!  Jim & I went with Mike & Lynn to see the AquaSox start their series with the Boise Hawks--how fitting (Mike had his Hawks hat on, of course!).  The weather was perfect, it was $2 night for concessions, and the Sox won.  Good game all the way around--a lot of double plays, only one error.  Home by 11.  Doesn't get much better!

Craft Fair Day Out

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from someone at my old workplace wondering that 'even though I had joined the ranks of former employees, didn't I maybe want to still participate in the annual craft fair that goes on the same day as the employee picnic?'  Pretty please?
In previous years I've had much fun at this event--so I gladly accepted.  It was good motivation to finish up some projects that had been underway--but not necessarily with a near-term purpose.  I had a long arm day already lined up so it was a good excuse to finish up these items & also try some new approaches on the long arm.
Yesterday was the event & I did enjoy my day--saw many old friends, caught up on some news, & sold over $400 of items. Not a bad way to spend a nice, sunny day! It's clear that we are all being more thrifty consumers these days, so I felt fortunate.  I always take some of Jim's bowls, too, which are quite a crowd pleaser--even though few were purchased this time.
It takes some organizational skills (that I quickly forget) to get things together for such.  So I'm thinking that now I am organized & remembering the process--I might schedule a table at the Farmer's Market harvest fest (last market of the season) & play merchant one more day before the season is over.
Here are the table runners (seven of 'em, front & back) & six placemats that I finished up on day #8 in the long arm studio  (all are reversible).

Wednesday on Whidbey

Carol & Rob's 'girls'