Thursday, June 30, 2011

Happiness is...

Finding the first ripe strawberry of the season, and then cutting it into 4 pieces so everyone gets a taste...

Giant Red Poppies...

Long Shadows...

Freckles...

Filling up the pool and splashing in frigid water on a barely-warm day...

Finally growing out of your hand-me-down suit and getting to pick out a brand new one in your favorite colors...

Making headway...

Meeting a brand new Nephew and Cousin (if anyone is keeping track, that makes 5 nephews and 3 nieces)...

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Visit to the Sandy Historical Society Quilt Show

Our town is quite small. You wouldn't expect to walk into the high school gymnasium and find a display of over 170 quilts, now would you? But this is the craft of choice in our area, and it was packed out with a lovely variety of handiwork.

From the truly humble upcycled denim masterpiece I made for my Boy (I use the word humble in the best sense. I really am proud of this piece, while also realizing that it is by no means an example of true quilting craftsmanship; its not even quilted!).

To the sweetly creative and personal quilt made by my Mama for my Girl (click the picture for a closer view... that's me in the kitchen decorating a cake!).

There were lap quilts...

bed quilts (love the fabric prints and colors in this one the best of them all)...

embroidered quilts...


intricately quilted quilts...

funky what-in-the-world quilts...

machine appliqued quilts...

and itty-bitty-dime-sized pieces hand appliqued to quilts...




there was even one rather primitive quilt (a rare decorating style in the West) that I know many of you will love...

As with last year's visit, my Budding Photographer took his camera along and captured a few favorites...





And the most incredible quilt of all, once again, I neglected to capture with my own camera... most likely because I was being shooed out of the way by a certain Boy so that he could get it for himself. I'm not usually one to gravitate toward art quilts, but the mastery of technique amazes me, and this one was just too whimsical and delightful to NOT notice. I'm pretty sure it got Best in Show, or whatever the Grand Prize ribbon is called at such places.

The end.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Happiness is...

Party Hats...

Babies wearing Party Hats...

Great Grandmas holding Babies wearing Party Hats...

Being handed a pie dish full of candy while wearing a Party Hat...

Sharing a Mother Lode of candy with your fellow Party Hat wearers...

Eating candy sushi in your very own Purple Party Hat (which happens to match your Purple flower shirt)...

Crashing down from your sugar high right at bedtime (yawn).

Friday, June 24, 2011

Sewing Celebration

Huzzah! Woot! Hooray! Double Woot Woot! Celebrate with me, my peeps...

I have finished my Picnic Quilt top at last! Just the top, mind you, but anyone who has quilted knows that finishing the piecing is at least 2/3 of the process.

I am bound (ha ha!) and determined to sit on this quilt come Fourth of July fireworks day.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Walking to get the Morning Paper

After nearly 12 years of not subscribing, I recently gave in to the temptation of a killer all-Summer-long intro price for the Oregonian.

I have many fond memories of riffling through the pages of a newspaper, finding interesting tidbits of news not found on television, clipping recipes and comics, doing crosswords, and reading about local events.

Living where we do, I can't just step outside in my bathrobe and pick the paper up off of my front steps (or wherever it landed when the bicycle-riding boy tossed it my way. Nope. We are well off of the beaten path, and getting the paper requires a bit of a walk down the driveway.

Which, I figure, is a fun thing to do with the kids on dry days.

And really fun on warm sunny mornings, with daisies to pick.

And lovely vistas along the way.


Speaking of warm sunny days, our first day of Summer was apparently also the last day of Summer, since we immediately returned to cool and wet, with no end in sight. The collective groaning from the throats of Oregonians should have been audible all across the US yesterday morning. Did you hear us?

I feel like pulling all of the curtains closed and sitting behind my sewing machine today. Sounds like as good a way as any to cope, don't you think?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Can it Be?

The first day of Summer, and there is actually SUNSHINE in the Pacific Northwest?

Ahhhhh...

If the sun hasn't gone behind the clouds again in fifteen minutes, perhaps these lovelies will have a chance to ripen by November...

The forecast is actually calling for temperatures in the 80's. The EIGHTIES! Can you believe it?

I know, I know, you are sitting there sweltering in your humid heat, wishing the cicada carcasses would disappear from your garden, and reminiscing about the sweetness of the strawberries you ate a month ago. But please rejoice with this Northern girl... I might get a freckle today!