Wild Olive

I got my "Donna's Scraps" quilt done! Yeah! I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, even the quilting! (Thanks for your help Val!) I've got a Snuggle Quilt quilted and the binding on, too...just needs the binding tacked down! And I got Maddie's quilt quilted/bound too...just more tacking down! Whew! betsy

I got some new toys in the mail today! I watched a show on The Quilt Show about doing machine applique that looks like it's been done by hand. Got me all inspired to learn how to do applique on my machine...can't wait to start! Do you have a quilting helper? Mine - Sigmund - is so very helpful. It's especially nice when he swishes his tail around where I'm rotary cutting or under the sewing machine needle. I've warned him that this may not be the best for his look, but I don't think he's listening. I got a couple of baby quilts quilted! I'll show pics when they get the binding finished! betsy

I've been kind of wondering what to do with batting scraps - you know, those "medium" sized pieces you cut off after you get done quilting a quilt. I found this fun website that shows 101 things to do with leftover batting: Quilts N Kaboodle . This was the funniest though: Betsy

Isn't waiting hard? You have no control. You can choose to be anxious, tap your fingers, sigh a lot, and wiggle your feet. Or like this guy, you can just wait. He wasn't anxious. He was just waiting. I wish I could do that with God more often. He's especially hard to wait on sometimes, since He knows the outcome, but hasn't chosen to let me know what it is. Like this pup, I would like to take a deep breath, and just hang.

OK, it's not a ton of headway, but I finally got some quilting things done this weekend. The most important was that I finally got the kid's "I Spy" quilts done and labeled and even washed! They're so cozy now...waiting for their new homes. I can't wait! I hope they like them. Do you wonder sometimes if you do all this quilting, and they won't really care? I guess so what, I had fun! I got the back of 2 quilts made...Donna's Scraps baby, and this one, Turning 20 40's quilt. This one I had started a year ago, and ran out of fabric, and therefore all my momentum. It's ready for quilting! (Man the "quilting" basket is getting FULL - better get on that!) I put this top together. I spent tons of time trimming blocks last Saturday on FQD, and now have an actual top. And I got the back designed out of my scraps...yeah! I'm coming to realize that my attention span is fairly short, so getting all this done in one weekend is so satisfying! ...

We went to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, and while Mom's quilt didn't get the grand prize ribbon, it did get to hang in one of the few spots where you can actually see the quilts! (Most get folded over, and there's not much to see.) Yeah! My quilt got on someone else's blog! Fun! It's at The Calico Cat . That's a first for me (that I know of). Shae's baby quilt got a blue ribbon, but wasn't displayed nearly as nicely: We also saw a few: And ate a little... All in all, a good day ! Betsy

I went to the APNQ (Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters) Quiltfest - their biennial juried quilt show. It's big, and really pretty amazing! This year it was at the Convention Center - much more room than at the Seattle Center in the past. There are so many types of quilts, it's really kind of overwhelming. From modern pictorial like these tulips: to traditional geometric: to fun: to really traditional (I loved this one - really had an antique feel to it): this fun one for my hubby's benefit (being a Beaver and all). One of the coolest parts for me was an exhibit of antique quilts owned by In the Beginning Fabrics/Sharon Yenter. They dated from about 1825 on...wow! You couldn't take pictures of them, but they were in the background of one of my photos. They were just yummy. Here's a link to all my pics from the show . TTFN betsy

Don't you just love the beach? Especially the ocean beach! I love all the color and pattern I find there. I'm sure I'm not going to probably make a "sand dollar quilt", but the cool pattern on them makes me think about it! We went camping this last few days at Grayland State Park (in Grayland, WA). It was a little on the chilly side, but there were a few sun breaks. We got ourselves some pie irons at Cabelas on the way down, and had a couple of excellent meals! Fun to try something new!

Sue and I had a great time at Sisters. I really liked some of the quilts: Saw lots of One Block Wonders (all made out of a single fabric): Saw some fun quilts by Jane Sassman: Some interesting art quilts: Saw some quilts in a gallery: And collected a few treasures: You can see all of my pictures on Flickr . Exausting and hot, but fun and so inspiring, Sisters is always fun! Betsy

Can you believe I won something? On Shop Hop! This store is kind of funky, and in a bizarre place, but wow! This is kind of late, but didn't we have a cool view for the fourth of July? We were up on Renton Hill, and could see 4 different show: Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Renton, and Bellevue. And no traffic trying to get out! I love fireworks! I'm not sure how blowing up a bazillion dollars worth of fireworks honors the birth of our country, but it's fun!

Shop Hop was pretty fun this year! I definitely went about it with more gusto than usual. I went alone on Thursday, with Kathy on Friday, and with Loris and Lorraine on Saturday! 34 shops total, plus a few that weren't even on the "official" list. Whew! I did spend too much - as always. And added to my UFO list. Bummer. But fun though! This is the official Shop Hop fabric. Each shop gives you a pattern and fabric to make one block when you get your passport stamped. Ultimately you can make a quilt out of all the blocks you collect. I bought some extra fabric to go with, since I never seem to have enough to finish the blocks I collect: This is most of what I bought - a few kits, and some cute red gingham fabric to make a "picnic" quilt. These are some of the "toys" I bought - a larger Add-A-Quarter ruler for paper piecing, a shiny new Angler (mine was getting really torn up), and a few patterns (can't resist). And this is some fabric I bought for St...

I got about 3/4 of Shae's quilting done! Yeah!

For Ferry Day (our staff "get away" day - used to be on a ferry), we went to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. What a cool spot! So many beautiful things to see there. Glass is pretty amazing! This display is Dale Chihuly glass in the ceiling on the bridge across the highway. It would have been even better if it hadn't been raining. My boss says that this one would make a nice quilt...hmmm...I'll have to mull that one over. I love all the color! My favorite part of the day (besides the Spaghetti Factory afterwards) was the Hot Shop. It's so amazing to watch glass being made. It changes so much as it goes along. And takes a whole team of people working on a single piece. The man describing the process was great too - it helps to have someone explaining. John Filey was the artist of the day. The piece they were making was really interesting - I'd have liked to have seen it competed. Apparently there was some cutting that was going to happen when it cooled down. I c...

Boy it was nice to get away to quilt retreat! We tried a new house at Lake Cavanaugh - nice house and cute lake! Quilt retreats are generally very refreshing - a time to get away from "regular" life and just be a little creative. No UFO's completed...but one worked on! Some of our completed projects:

Today I was off, and so was Steve! Man we had fun today! We had the best breakfast I've had in a LONGGG time at Maltby Cafe . Maybe it's because we haven't been there in a while, but I think it was the best we've ever had there. My scramble (chicken rosemary sausage and sun-dried tomatoes) was excellent, the potatoes were just the right mushiness, and the bacon was done superbly! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Then, to top it all off, we went antique shopping for a while up in Snohomish . We don't usually buy a ton (except additions to my small cookbook collection), but today I found this treasure! Can you believe it?! It's so cute - millions of yo-yo's, with another pattern of yellow yo-yo's - made of lots of lovely 30's and 40's fabrics - and in great condition! I'm so excited! It's evening now, and I'm still smiling!

Berry Strippy #1 is done! Yeah! I finished the binding on our trip home from watching our niece Anne graduate from Willamette (and a little during a Mariners game on TV). I so can't believe she's graduating from college already - she was one of the two cutest little flower girls in our wedding, and I can't possibly be old enough for her to be that old! Man, where does the time go? So nice to have one of my UFO's actually done! It's been "almost done" for a really long time.  Yesterday at Friendship Quilting Day I got LW's quilt back done finally! (LW is short for Little Wolfe - my nephew's current nickname - pronounced "L-Dub". We kinda figured "Little P" wasn't very dignified for a little boy.) Now I just need to get the kids quilts together! I also got started on my row - coming up with the "correct" idea is always the hardest part! Well, I'm off to barbecue with the family (Dad's birthday and LW's bi...

Well, a little more progress was made yesterday. Trying to use up fabric I have for the back (and still save some for binding), here's what I came up with. I also started on Wolfe's - it will be similar, but a vertical arrangement instead. Yippee! Let's hear it for moving forward! I might get to teach these two quilts at a friend's studio. I've never really considered myself a teacher, so we'll see...

I'm so excited that our camera is finally home!!! So I can finally show you this picture of what I've been working on...sort of. I can't show the real thing yet - it's still a surprise! In our quilt group, we're making quilts where 5 other people make rows for your quilt, but we won't know what any of them look like until they're all done. It should be fun!