Just in case. . . . .

you think I'm just sitting around looking cute, I did want to report that I'm busy with 3 projects, in addition to completing the last 3 ft. of my Saskia quilt binding (see last blog post).  Watching a 'movie' is a great way to make time for sitting and working on quilting projects.  We bought the boxed set of Foyle's War (Acorn Media - is that BBC?  ITV?  I don't know) so I'm thoroughly enjoying Detective Chief Inspector Foyle as he sorts out all variety of nefarious activity, with a World War II backdrop.

Dieuwke gave me a "Tree of Life" panel.  As I saw in den Haan and Wagenmakers, I am outlining each of the elements and will then cross hatch quilt it.  All by hand, Caroline and Dieuwke.  You would be proud of me.  I'm using a cream colored silk thread, so that is a bit difficult to see in this picture - not to mention hard to quilt with.  But I'm happy so far.

 I'm sewing together the wedge pieces of the Christmas tree skirt for my son and DIL - and of course, those perfectly lovely girls.  Hope they'll like it under the tree.

While visiting the quilting Bee at Yvonne's, I saw a piece that one of the members was working on.  She was making a wall hanging that was (presumably paper pieced) of a cupboard (kast) filled with dishes and jugs and cups and a teapot and a coffee pot.  I LOVED it!  And, it just happened that Caro gave me some left-over scraps from some of her historical fabrics, so I found a pattern by Maaike Bakker and started working on it.  I find it challenging - as it is not intuitive, always, but so far, so good.  I like it.

So between planning menus, shopping, haircuts, laundry, ironing, and generally getting ready to be away, I'm keeping the little machine humming.  The weather man says a couple of days of grey and rain and then sun, sun, sun.  Yeah!!!

 

We are off camping (again)

This is going to be a BUSY summer for the motorhome.  Go Saskia!  But we are sure enjoying our time out and about.  This trip was east of the Cascade mountains.  If you don't know Washington, the Cascades pretty much divide the state into the wetter western side and dryer eastern side.  So we headed east.  It was a rather long drive to get there.  With a huge slowdown on I-90 (the major highway) it took us about 4+ hours to get east of Wenatchee to Lincoln Rock State Park.  Gorgeous, gorgeous!  These reservations were made 9 (!) months ago, and at that, the selection of available sites was limited, but wow a beautiful place.

Visiting with friends who "Came Along", eating, resting, a bit of quilting - wow it really takes it out of a girl.

My quilt project was trying to finish the binding on the quilt I'm making for the motorhome.  It's all done - bar about 3 feet.

This being "that" time of the year, we did have to enjoy some of the season's bounty,

(aren't they scrumptious looking - and they tasted that good, too!)

[the light ones, if you don't know, are called Rainier cherries.  And, of course, bings.]

Now, believe it or not, we will be at home for two weeks until it's time for the 4th of July camp-out and then heading north for our RV caravan tour.  Oh my goodness.  Ain't life good?

Father's Day Week-end

While my father isn't around any longer, this is the week-end to remember our fathers.  So it's with a smile I remember my dad. 

We were off for a week-end with our RVing group.  Not too many photos, but it was quite a fun week-end with some really good weather.  [notice the sunshine through the trees]  With a western theme, we had a week-end of Cowgirl clothing competition, games involving roping and tossing rings onto cow "horns", a chili potluck, a pig calling competition and a sing-a-long.  [can you tell just how silly we can be?]

We got home, despite some traffic slowdowns and look what I discovered in the front garden.

Look right in the middle of the light pink flowers.  I tried to get closer but she (he?) flew off.  Gorgeous.

Updated: RVing on the Oregon Coast

We had a very fun week-end in the RV with friends Nancy and Diane.  We drove through Longview, Astoria and stayed for 3 nights in Cannon Beach, on the Pacific Ocean.  The Oregon coast is quite marvelous (dare I say nicer than the Washington coast?)  This should be an album of some of our  photos [Oh my, I hope I managed to change this and you should be able to click to the photos I've saved.]

Otherwise, what's new?  Not a whole lot.  We're home now for 3 days and then head out with the RVing Women's group, in Chehalis for the week-end.  Back for 4 days and then head out to Lincoln Rock State Park.  We've been hearing how wonderful Lincoln Rock is, for years, so gonna give it a try.  It just is too bad that it all comes at once.  It doesn't rain, but it pours - as they say.

Is anyone reading something perfect for summer, at the moment?  I recently learned of Nicola Upson and her Josephine Tey books.  I'm quite enjoying them (3 so far).  I tend to find an author I like and then read just about everything they have written or wait, with baited breath, for the next publication.  (a la Louise Penney).  Always on the lookout for a good read.

On the sewing/quilting front, I'll hand off my colored blocks (see last post) for Alayne to take to Stashbusters for me.  I have the backing ready for my Spagenburger hanging, I need to get some batting for a couple of other finished tops (bigger ones) and start the hand quilting on the Tree of Life medallion (center) that Dieuwke gave me, when we were in Holland.  Can't let those fingers get too stiff, you know.  :-)

Friday:  June 14  As Google doesn't work properly, here are the photos.  Sorry for doing it this way.