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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