Winter Morning

Here it is 2 days before Christmas and we are having cold and rain with freezing temperatures !

I really love that atmosphere it makes Christmas seem cosier. This morning I stepped outside in my 'jamy's' and these sites just compelled me to share them with you. The Nandina Bamboo bushes are under the kitchen windows and the raindrops glistened like diamonds on the leaves and berries. I bet you can just smell the smoke,(I could) from the woodstove pouring out of the chimney trailing across the roof and drifting toward the redwood trees! Lastly our sign that greets you when you drive in our yard says it all! As I went shopping today for the Christmas eve fresh crabs that is traditional fare for us. Just... that a whole crab for each person and bread...I had a sinking feeling about their available supply what with the winter storms upon the seas. But, they were there waiting for me!! Tomorrow I must bake something for desert. Not all the usual family will be here. But, Christmas will be here nontheless!

SNOW DAY!!!!

Today starts the last week of our selling Christmas trees on our Choose and Cut tree farm! The last couple days the weather turned really cold and today as you can see from the photo of my DH and the customers whose tree is being shaken it is snowing!!! So fun and sooo cold! Sooooo, I decided it was a perfect day for a pot of Clam Chowder for dinner! I have not even had a chance to do any shopping yet. I imagine I'll have to hurry up and get-er' done soon! Stay warm!

Christmas Surprise

We have been so busy preparing our Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Farm for the opening the day after T-Day. (I have neglected my blog!) It has been none stop since then with wonderful families coming to get their Christmas tree! Just a few days ago we were taking a "deep breath" after a swarm left and we heard the " giggles of little children", then a clip clop,clip clop. Hmmmm...we said wonder what is going on? When what to our "wondering eyes" should appear...but a team of 2 huge black Perchon horses pulling a red wagon full of kids! Well, our eyes were just poppin' out and what a sight to see! The children were visiting a neighbor 1 mile up the road. (They just moved in the neighborhood about a year ago and we had not met them yet.) But, they had visitors from a private school about a 1 -1/2 hours away from here. They wanted to "come see". Well, the kids wanted a little tree for their class room and the teacher wanted a 8 footer for her home. They aquired both and were treated to the candy canes in the traditional red basket we have for everyone. It is the first time we have had such a oppourtunity to view these magnificent horsed up close. A few days later the wagon came back for a tree for the neighbors being pulled this time by 2 giant white Perchon's. It was another "Kodak" moment to say the least! My DH did the photos!


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Pumpkin Time

October has been just "stuffed" full of activities. The quilt show, vacation in "fishland", learning to make my very own pumpkin!!!! The seed heads of my very own home grown sunflowers. Of which only the two plants survived out of a dozen that came up!

(Only because my DH got a little too close with his weed spraying!!!)
This is a all wool table runner!!! I have carried this project with me for two vacation years and finally it is coming together! I can't believe the progression of the first half of the table runner. The wavy outline was to be "whipped stitiched" but I like to add my own ideas, so I "felted" it into the runner. I had a hand felting needles tool that works just great for that. The cutting out of the flowers was somewhat challenging as I was trying to "fussy cut" them. Well, the brain finally engaged when I realized I would not have to worry as every thing I do is "just they way I wanted it to be"!!!! Making the pumpkin was so fun. I had two learning experiences! At a guild meeting of Konocti Quilters our leader showed us the "how to" and then My friend Su at "Pieces of Time" had a tutorial and what I forgot from the guild meeting Su reminded me! This all happened on the same day....is that wierd or what??? The days are getting shorter and the leaves are turning those beautiful yellows and reds. I love it!
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Chit Chat

I am taking a break!! The activites of the Falling Leaves Quilt Show aka Ladies of The Lake Quilt Guild big show, was just too much fun! Take a look at the guilds website! I entered the same items in the FLQS as I did in the county fair where I ribboned on the same entrys. The competition was greater. The judges have tough decision to make. I know first hand as I am the chairman of the judging committee and I observe as well as scribe for them. They are fair and tough in their judging. Which I consider important. I don't take any critisims personally as I consider them a learning process. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to enter your items in a "judged" event to do so! So, that being said....I need to get planning for next years events....mmmm does that mean shopping for fabric or diving into my stash! Stay tuned!!








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Count Down

The Grapevine Quilt Guild ,of which I am a charter member, held their 2nd annual quilt show recently. The handkerchiefs of one of the members mothers were incorporated into this adorable wall hanging as well as a "lapper" at the top! The "mini"s of other quilters are placed around my entry "Fresh Flowers". This is a "non judged" show. It is done nicely and the size of the room limits the quits to a little more than 130 or so. Wonderful quilts!

I have been so busy with my preparations for the up coming Falling Leaves Quilt Show, it is only 5 more days to go. I can't wait!!! There are around 250 entrys and this is a "judged" show. I am the "Chair" of the Judge Committee and it requires much attention to detail, hiring Judges, assigning positions, hoping that the fair ground manager has all our requested tables and chairs clean and in the hall waiting for us very early on the morning of judging. The next day is the actual setup day of the quilt racks, the hanging of the quilts, as well as the vendor spaces,theme baskets country store,silent auction area...featured quilter, who by the way is world famous Mariners Compass, quilter Judy Mathison. I know that the peices will all fall in to place for opening day,Oct.4. Hope you can come!

A Long Time Ago!

I am going through boxes that I haven't looked at in a very long time!
As I sit here holding my hand-me-down dolly, did I ever think I would be using a computer or even living the life that I do now!? No, probably the only thing I was thinking of was "when are we going to go to the beach"! This photo was taken when I was about 6-7 years old. My hair was naturally red and curly and did it present alot of "ouches" when being combed and brushed! Look at those shoes!!!! They also were (brown) hand-me-downs! Those were the style in our house. I must have dreamed of white ones ! Or even shiny black patent leather.
I was the youngest of 6 kids. My father was a Sgt. in the U.S.Army and we lived on Angel Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay. He was the Supply Sgt. by day and ran the base theater every night! We saw all the movies free! It was a kids paradise. A one room school house and a beach romp when ever! A big boat took us right by Alcatraz Island to the "City" for shopping, etc...our 1936 4 door Ford was parked in a rented garage off of Lombard Street, where the boat docked at the bottom of it. My Mom didn't drive so when my Pop wasn't with us we would catch a street car to downtown or a friends house. We were the one of the last families to move off the island when it closed down. It is now a part of the State Parks System . I loved our life on "our island"!!!

A New Challenge

Last week was my Mini Groups first class session after our summer break! Hey, just like school starting again! It is always fun to anticipate what our "leader/teacher" is going to have as a project for us! Well, she really threw us a curve this time around!! No paper pieceing this time! Arrrgh!
I have a sweet friend Leslie at pieceful-moments that does not ever,never do paper pieceing and her mini creations are just perfect and she doesn't take a class!!! Grrrr.... Now, you while you are looking at this and thinking, so...what is with making a "pinwheel". Well, my sister quilters, this is no ordinary pinwheel. The pinwheels themselves are 1& 1/4" squares, cut from 2 3"squares layered and divided w/stitches and then cut apart and then cut again into the itsy bitsy squares, then adding the corners. Now I thought I had really cut a "fat hog" when I finished this one! Only to be told I did it backwards! It took me 2 hours to create this mistake!!! LOL

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Can you guess what this creation is? OK, give up? DH made it on his lathe! This is another wonderful walnut wood bowl on a pedestal, one piece. It is about 3 inches across. I think perhaps a holder for nuts or jelly beans!!!lol The next photo is not as easy to figure out, wasn't for me anyway!

It is a special oil holder. In the second photo you can see the inside, it holds the "special oil". The size of the inside is a contact lens holder!!! Guess you always wanted to know about what to do when those little cups are no longer in use! lol!!!

I am preparing to go to the first of the season "2008-2009" "Mini Group" sew day tomorrow. We meet monthly and the car is loaded with my travel sewing machine and equipement and the great part is I have no idea what our leader/teacher has on the agenda for us!!! We have had our summer break and it will be fun to see my "classmates" again. We meet at a wonderful place....a fabric shop!!! We have a whole room to ourself and we can dash out to the "fabric stash" when we want!! How fun is that??

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Fair Awards

Well, yesterday was take-down at the local fair! I volunteer as I told you in my last blog,(I think) along with two other quilty friends to do this. We arrived at the fair ground before 8:00 a.m. and started promptly, as soon as the scary ladder was brought to us! As you can see Kerrie,the "ladder lady" is waaaay up there taking down Jane's beautiful quilt( she was awarded a 2nd on). While Jane and I catch the quilts below. The we fold and stack them and proceed all around the building. It actually took us a little under 2 hours about. Putting them up was about 4 hours! We had a few obstacles, as the exhibits were still in place! Just like putting them up. I was awarded a 1st (blue) on the Pine Tree runner,2nd on the Fresh Flowers in the same category!!! (Whew,I competed against myself!) I received a 3rd on Rockin Rooster in a different category!! Well, it is a few more weeks until the next quilt show. That will be so much fun! Can't wait!

This & That

This was a fun replica of a treadle machine. I have a treadle cabinet w/my 1966 singer inside. It has not seen daylight in 10 years since I got my "Bernie"! But, I love looking at the cabinet and so made this from a pattern some years ago. Just found it in a stack of scraps!
This beaded "egg" was a challenge to learn beading by another "quilty" friend that is so talented and creative. She said,"Oh, just pour the beads into a small dish and watch t.v. and put your needle through the beads and they will just jump on the needle"! Yeh, right! I mindlessly sewed them on and the egg shape came with it! I did glue a pin on it and it works! The other pin was a gift from a friend I made at the very first retreat I attend. It is real fabric folded to represent fat quarters! Soooo cute.

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Turkey "Tales"

Agin' they roam and show up for corn "snacks". This is the gang of 4 and sometimes 5. There are other "gangs" larger than this. I go for walks to scout for their beautiful feathers that they 'drop' this time of year. It is called 'molting'. A vase of them is quite impressive as "art"! The ones in the center back are the tail feathers, the stripped "bars" are their wings ones. The others are from who knows, chest,underneathe places. They don't drop them all in one spot. It is a adventure hunting for them. I'd like to incorporate these 'finds' in a wall hanging or something artsy! That is going to take some creative pondering for a while! They are here and there along the way up and down our creekside. They stay close to the shady trees that line the creek banks on both sides. They do wander in the field getting from their fav's spots to eat, bugs, who knows what. We never lose our amazment for them and enjoy them always. I just love sharing these photos as I image the average person would not know how these wild birds live and look. My 15 year old DGD asked me if we would have one for T-day. I said "no, I want the one with the "popup" temperature thingy!!! These don't have that" We had a laugh together! Hope you enjoy this nature show!

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Just Chatter!

This is a "stilleto" my DH made for me out of .....yes....walnut wood. It feels soo soft and smooth to the touch, just like the seam rippers. If I don't have it in my hand when I sew on my "Bernie" I just don't feel in control!

Yesterday was a really busy and exhausting day. I was asked to help hang the quilts that were entered at our local county fair, which is next weekend. They were judged the day before and I said of course as long as I don't have to climb a ladder or lift heavy loads. The main exhibit hall is where the quilts are hung on cable wires with binder clips, that are streched across the hall above everything. The two brave ladies that did the actual hanging should have had parachutes and saftey belts hooked to the roll around ladder , there were none. So they didn't stand on the top step...ever. That way they had some saftey with the last step infront of them....arrrgh. Myself and another gal pinned names and ribbons on them and sorted them for the order of hanging. We then carried them to the ladder crew. I do wished I had taken a photo of the "event". In my haste I didn't even think of that. If you look at one of my previous post of last years fair quilts exhibit you will see what I am saying! You of course want to know if I entered and recieved any ribbons...right??? I will tell you that I did enter some of my smaller "creations" this year....but ....to be "fair" my lips are sealed until the fair opens!!!! I will have to say that when the junior quilts were being hung, one of the fair helpers (the 6'6" dude) said he would help as the locations was jammed w/exhibts being set up and the ladder had to be manuvered carefully. We were very happy for him to do that! You can guess that our fair operates on a "cheap budget". If there were no volunteer for some jobs, they just wouldn't get done. I hope if you can volunteer in your community you will. It is a "good thing" to do!

Pup & Quilts

Here is the "pity me pup"! She had a "hangnail" and DH took her to our vet. Well, $$. later, here she is,bandage and moping. She limped around so cute. She wasn't in pain, that is what we couldn't figure out the limping. The wrap was to keep her dewclaw clean! Oh,yeah, she love the fact that the antibiotic pill was wrapped in shredded Mexican cheese ! After thought of DH was, "I coulda clipped it myself"!! LOL "Yes" said I " and who would hold her"??

I found these flannel "rag" blocks" left over from a "rag" quilt I made DGD about 5 years ago. Just the right size for llqg.org baby quilt donation to a local hospital. I found some smaller ones that made a doll size quilt, also for a donation. I have washed them both to get the ragged edges started fuzzing up. They are so soft and cosy!


I am just "doody-doing" this week!!! The fact that I am ready for the fair exhibts leaves me w/"playtime"!! No pressure! I thought why not look at what I have in my scrap drawers/bins! The weather has cooled nicely so I will keep playing w/my scraps.

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Baskets,Fish,Flowers

Here is my mini "Baskets" all completed!

Today was another "hottie"! So, I am inside w/ceiling fans ! This morning I did my outside "duties". My barrel "Goldies" were begging for their morning "flakes"! It was a great photo op. The lily leaves look dirty, but they are healthy, I just didn't rinse them off yet. The water evaporates quickly on these days. The sunflowers are my summer fav's. just opened yesterday, at last! I am showing you the lobelias as I have babied them also this year. The 'redbird is a silly gift from my sister when she visited in June....when the plant needs water it chirps, until you water! Well, sometimes it chirps when it doesn't need a drink also. Sounds like a baby birds in a nest! The batteries finally quit at last! He is going to be recycled to somewhere else....soon!