Back in the saddle

Seems like this whole month has been a little off track.  I got home from Oregon on the 11th, and have been going from one thing to another to another, but haven't felt like I've gotten much of anything accomplished.  I have it's just been scattered. :)  So finally finally I feel like I have had some time to sew this week.  So to re-cap from where I left off.  I took the class on the 16th called Paint box with Bettye Shepperd.  When I left the class I had the box parts sewn but not sewn together.
Last weekend I worked on sewing the rows together and got a couple going.

 

Here it is finished, however I may be adding to it and making it into a lap sized quilt or baby size quilt.   I want to add a solid black border around the whole thing then build another layer of the blocks around that.  I'll keep you posted on that.  

So that felt good to get that far on that - sorta finished.

I was also able to prep my next block for the the "Let it Snow"  BOM from Buttermilk Basin.  

Here is the next block - "I" 

Then I have also been working on some charity quilts.  I've gotten two tops made.

So I now feel like I'm getting back into the swing of sewing.  I'm working on a third charity quilt top. This one was very nicely put together with coordinating fabric and instructions.  Sweet! 

I've got 1/2 of the blocks made they just need to be trimmed. 

Below is the second color sewn on the focus fabric ready to be cut into blocks. 

We need to run some errands and take the dogs for their shots.  So after I get back home I plan on working to finish this top up too.  

Hope you have a blessed day.

Lynn

Frogs and Ducks

After we had our walk and some lunch yesterday I worked some more on my Purple Tree Frog.  Here is the grid drawing to enlarge it.

Here is what I had previously painted on it.  

And after yesterday - here is my finished frog.  

I was very happy with how it turned out.   But I was having so much fun I wanted to keep painting so I found my ducks that I had started when I painted Sally the Seahorse.

Here's where it was at when I started on it again yesterday.

And here is what I was able to do with it.  It still needs to have some more work done on it but I needed to let parts of it dry before I could do more.  

.  I'm not sure what I'll do with the ducks once I'm done with them, but I'm having fun with them.  

I'm having so much fun with these, I've thought of another thing I can do for a friend, so I have at least  one more painting project I want to do.  Maybe I'll work on that later today. 

Heading out for our walk and then maybe I'll start on that next painting. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn 

Paint Box

As the project coordinator for the SNR guild, I booked this class several months ago.  Then after several emails back and forth, I was able to meet our teacher Bettye at a sewing retreat I went to in March.  What a delight.  She is kind, sweet with a little bit of joking and sass.  I really like her and was even more excited to take her class after meeting her.

So as I have written in other posts and even my last post, the class we were doing is called Paint Box and this is the quilt that we were doing.

Here is Bettye's Sample that she made. 

Just to the right of her was her examples of how to get started on this - and I won't give it away - you'll just need to have her come teach for you some day - it will be a pleasure I don't want to rob you from.  :) 

Again here are the fabrics I chose. 

Here are some of he blocks that others did and she put on the board as they got them together. 

They are not sewn together because you need to do them in rows to get it to come together right.  but they are just placed together to see how they look. 

And Finally here are my blocks - only put next to each other to see how they are going to come out. 

I didn't get a picture of my yellow one.  

Here's a picture of Bettye holding Cheryl's center.  I don't know how many more black pieces she is going to put around the outside, she may leave it the way it is.  There were 5 or 6 of them that were sharing fabric and are doing only black, not the black and white, so theirs will be pretty much the same as this.  Can't seem to get a picture of Cheryl or Betty's face.  ha ha. 

I didn't want to stop - I wanted to keep going but at a little after 3 and 6 hours it was time to start cleaning up.  We cleaned up and packed up and I got out of there about 4 pm.  I came home and made some pork chops, baked potato and salad.  Then my honey and I went and sat out side in the breeze with a cool beverage.  What a nice day.  

Today, we got up had our coffee and did our 3 1/2 mile walk and then I made tostada's with home made chili/salsa and home made beans.  Wow - Yum Yum.  

And of course I was a really good girl and only ate one.   Ya right that's why the picture is cropped so tight.  I'd already eaten one before I got around to taking the picture.  LOL.  

Well I think I'll go into my craft room and figure out what I want to play with.  I'm thinking I want to work a little more on my frog, and see if I can finish it up.  I only have the eyes, and the rest of the branch and some shading to do. And since it's already after 1 pm so I don't want to drag out a big project.  Well I do - but know it would be frustrating to just get going strong on it and have to quit for the day.  :)  

Two posts in one week are an achievement for me let alone 2 in one day.  :)  

Have a Blessed day!

Lynn 

Purple Tree Frog

Tuesday I did not pack up my machine to go to the Open Sew at the shop - I needed to cut/prep my fabric for the Saturday class and I figured that would be a good place to cut all my 6" by about 20" strips of a light medium and dark of 6 colors.  Then I will Also need to cut some white on black and black on white.  I got the colors cut.

This is for my class on Saturday where we will be making this taught by a local teacher whom had taught all over: Bettye Sheppard.  This is one of her students that took the this class from her.   (That's not her in the picture)  It's called Paint Box.

When I got to the shop, Sheri asked if I could stay and work the afternoon so she could get some paperwork done that she needed to.  I said sure.  The were also watching her Dad's dog for a few hours so I took "Lovey" for a couple of walks and cleaned up a couple accidents.  She is on some meds that makes her go potty a lot, 8 times in 4 hours.  Oh well she was a sweet thing.  Then when I was done at the shop, I zoomed home got the punch for the party that we were having after the SNR Business meeting and zoomed back down to the cottage.  Our friend Aggie is moving to Southern Oregon as I wrote about in my last post, and we were wishing her a farewell.  I got home after 9 and had a TV Dinner for dinner and not too much later I was out.  

Wednesday, we did our walk, wow it's been so long since we've done our walk - but I fell right into step so to speak and it felt good.  

After our walk I was going to make lunch but my honey said he'd take me to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  They have lunch one item lunch specials so hey why not. I got a taco, with rice and beans and comes with Chips and Salsa all for $5, not bad.   Once we had lunch, we spent the rest of the day driving around, running a few errands and ended up stopping and visiting Sheri and Jerry at the quilt shop.  We also checked out a couple of the thrift stores in the area and ended up getting a really nice floor fan dirt cheap - and it runs great.  By the time we were done, it was past dinner time so I made us a hamburger and some cottage cheese.

Thursday - We took our walk again, and then after lunch I started on my new scavenger block.  A Tree - A Frog  - and the Color Purple.
I started with a picture that I found on the Internet.  Then I did the grid system to enlarge the drawing.

Then I started painting it using my inks and gel.

I was having so much fun, my sweet had to come in and ask if I was going to make some dinner.  :)  I continued just a little longer to finish up an area of one of the feet then stopped for the night.  

Friday - I went to the cottage and finally I uncovered my sewing machine and started her up.  :)  It's been over 2 weeks, I wasn't sure I knew how to use her.  ha ha.  Well I was at the cottage and it was charity day.  We were making Adult Bibs for the Skilled Nursing Center for Adults that are recovering and in re-hab from strokes or illnesses and need a bib.  I didn't get a picture of the ones I made, Dang, but below is a picture of the sample one that they made to show us what we were doing. It used one half of a terry cloth towel and a cotton yoke top.  They actually were really easy and I think with every one that showed up and those that took some home we will have 50 or 60 made.  I got 4 done.  Here's what they look like.  

That pretty much wrapped up my day.  I came home and got the rest of my stuff ready for Saturday's class and my food that I needed to make for the potluck.  Eager to make the paint box quilt. 

Have a Blessed Day.

Lynn 

Kation April 16

Well if you have been reading my blog for any time - you know that my grandkids started the whole Kation thing.  They were little and couldn't say Vacation.  And so the tradition has gone on.  I have been on "Kation".  It's been a wonderful time and of course goes too fast.  I have lots to tell - Lots of pictures and many many more memories.
So I'll just try to fill you in and explain as we go.  There hasn't been a lot of sewing or stitching - mostly just family time.
First stop  Fly into Medford where my sweet Sister picked me up and we started our journey.  First we headed to Gold Beach Oregon to see my Dad.  He has had some TIA Strokes, and though it hasn't affected his physical abilities too much, it has messed with his cognitive skills a little.  Even more reason to visit him as much as I can.  I posted this picture on Facebook but this is us having dinner out with my Dad and Step Mom.

Here's my Dad Sitting in the sunshine on the front porch.

After we left Dad's we headed up to Portland to see my kids and grandkids.  We had a family dinner and all the kids came.  Here is a few pictures of our family.   Good times.

Here they all are above.  3 Kids, 5
grandkids, and  2 great grandkids.
The guy in blue in the far back behind lady in white T-shirt is our oldest grandson Jeremy. Jeremy is Stacy's son.
The boys on my lap. The one in glasses is one of our great grandsons Carter,  and the other is our grandson Caleb.


Picture to the right Dark Pink Me, light pink Stacy our oldest daughter, Black Tank top, Taya youngest daughter, Grey T-shirt our Son Scott.  Black sleeved white T-shirt Scott's wife Bri.  Lady holding Baby our oldest granddaughter Ciara and her youngest son Benji, Ciara is Stacy's Daughter.  Girl next to her with hair pulled back, Taya's oldest and our youngest granddaughter Jorden, and that handsome boy in front of her is her brother Zachary.


The next day our youngest daughter and her two kids and my Sister and I went to Saturday Market which is a big outdoor crafter's market.
Here's a picture of them in front of the famous "Voo Doo Donuts"  no we didn't get one.

And a living statue that would juggle for tips.

And here is my Sister and I after a long day of walking around. 

 There were so many pretty things - but I was a good girl and didn't buy anything.  I did however collect some business cards for possible future shopping.  :)

Since Taya lives in Salem about an hour south of Portland, she and the kids stayed with us in the hotel room - big slumber party.  :)  Fun times actually.

After our couple of days in Portland, we headed south following Taya to her place in Salem, then had breakfast with her before continuing south to Klamath Falls where I spent a week with my Sis.



Here's  we are giving her kisses good bye.  :)

At my Sis's house, we relaxed - had lunch out with some friends, went to see an old grade
 school friend of mine, saw a movie - (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2) and did lots of crossword puzzles together.  Oh ya and I went to a quilt store and a fun gift shop in the little town of Merrill which is south of Klamath Falls. My grandparents lived in Merrill and I grew up in Malin which is just a little further south, pretty much right on the border of Oregon and California.
Here's a picture of the quilt store.

Can you see the reflection of the gas station across the street.  :)

Coincidentally my childhood friend's Mother lives here in Arizona and we have become friends. Well she just sold her home here in AZ and is moving back to Merrill Or, to be closer to her children and grandchildren - so I will now have someone else to go see in Merrill Oregon when I visit.  :).

After a nice time with my Sis - her and my BIL drove me back to Medford where I waited for my plane that got delayed three times and then arrived in Las Vegas 3 1/2 hours later than I was supposed to.  :)  It was a long day.  Lets just say Monday I slept in - bought groceries (cupboards were bare) and then took a nap.

Kation was wonderful - I'm getting back into the swing of my daily life but slowly.  I'll post more about my last few days at home later - but I' still have not taken the cover off my sewing machine.  I've done a little hand stitching - very little but no machine sewing.  Yep way too long.  it's been 2 weeks without using a sewing machine.   Oh no it's getting scary - I might need to fix that soon.  :)
Have a Blessed day -
Lynn