Posted on by agilejack

A Much Needed Saturday

I was so happy to see Saturday arrive. And even better… Monday Is Martin Luker King Day so I have the day off! Another nice long weekend.

Our day started with Rico’s sheep herding lesson up in Battle Ground, WA. And he was amazing! Today we worked on driving, which is when Rico moves the sheep away from me and around the field on my commands. The dog’s natural desire is to bring the sheep to you, so driving them away takes some training to achieve.

I videotaped his last training exercise today and it was soooo good!

HIs poor little brain really got a good workout today!

After his lesson we stopped by the big field to get a good run in. It has been pretty rainy this week so the field was wet, but these boys didn’t care. They got in a really good run in the cool and damp weather.

Bender always takes time of pose nicely.

You can see the mist in the air at the base of the trees.

And then there was more running, and running, and running.

This next photo illustrates Bender and Rico’s personalities. Bender likes to be right next to me al the time, and Rico likes his independence.

After that nice run I dropped by a little out of the way quilt store that has a ton of KFC fabrics. I knew I could find the two pieces I was looking for.

It’s a funny little store. It’s in a metal building in farm land. You would never have any idea it was there. They have more fabric than they have room for. The fabric is stacked up everywhere. This aisle is all KFC fabrics.

You can barely get through the aisles. I’m surprised those fabrics on the floor don’t have mud on them from the parking lot.

Then we started out on the slow drive home. It was pretty rainy and the interstate wasn’t moving very fast. This is the Interstate Bridge which is I-5 crossing the Columbia River. The Columbia is huge, and it’s the border between Oregon and Washington.

When we got home I grabbed a bowl of home made soup, took a little nap with the TV on, then took the boys out for. a walk around 4:00. I wanted to get our walk in before it got dark. And we lucked out and walked with no rain. the sun even broke through as we hit the park. And look at those dark skies in the background.

We finished up our walk as the sun was going down. The skies were so pretty.

More pretty skies.

And this next picture was taken right at 5:00. It’s so wonderful to see light in the sky at 5:00! I can feel spring coming on!

After a little more snoozing lightly on the sofa I grabbed some dinner and then hit my sewing room. I can’t seem to convince myself to finish the lining of that unfinished bag so I dug in and sewed four more strip tubes for my Aboriginal trip quilt

That’s 12 pairs of strips sewn together and ready for pressing. And when pressing I use my metal ruler to keep my strip sets straight and true.

I made a video last year so show how I use this metal ruler. It’s really been a game changer for me. Strip sets are so much easier to deal with when they’re straight!

Some of these strip sets really grab me. Some feel blah. But I think they’ll all work in the quilt.

That’s all I got done tonight, but that’s pretty good considering I sort of had to force myself to get in there!

My plan for tomorrow is to finish up that lining for my unfinished Frankenbag and probably get these damned dogs out for some walking if we get a break in the rain. Oh, and I have the most fun thing ever on the agenda… grocery shopping! Wahoo!

80 Replies to “A Much Needed Saturday”

    2. I’m thinking that shop might just be Country Manor. It’s in Battle Ground, WA. I e on, been there.a couple of times, but it is just as Ann described it. More fabric than shelves or floor space! It’s a great store.

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    3. the store in Battleground is called Country Manor. You can find them with a Google search. they don’t have a website, and I don’t know if they will ship or not. You might want to give her a call and see what she says.

      Thanks for reading!

      Anne

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  2. I love the pictures of your dogs and all their escapades with you! I have not owned a dog since I was a young girl living on a farm in Michigan, so I guess I really like to enjoy your dogs vicariously because I don’t have one or two! Thank you for sharing your world with us. Homemade soup and a little nap sounds delish! ❤️

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  3. Good morning 

    I watched your video of Riko doing his training, it always amazes me when watching dogs herd sheep. He did a good job.

    I also came across your video of using a metal ruler for ironing long strip sets, it was a good tutorial.

    Enjoy your long weekend

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    div>Doreen Sherk 

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  5. So much fabric in that store! They need more customers 😄. The Aboriginal strip sets are looking great. Thanks for sharing all those fabulous pics of the boys 🥰🥰🥰. You are a wonderful Mama! Looking forward to the finished Franken bag pics too ☺️

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    1. There were actually five or six cars in the parking lot when I got there yesterday. that’s sort of a crowd for that store! It’s not unusual for me to be the only one in the store. And they only have one person working at a time so if you’re in line, it can take awhile!

      Anne

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  7. That quilt store looks wonderful. I’d love to go to it. Once in Iowa I came across a quilt store in that metal hut they have on farms. This one had beautiful Oriental fabric that I purchased and later made a quilt. Love your dog photos.

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  8. We are going to visit family in your area and was wondering if you could tell us the name of the quilt store visited yesterday. Really enjoy watching the projects you do come to life. Thank you for sharing.

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  9. Sounds like a nice Saturday with a little of what everyone needed.: a lesson, some running, some shopping, some comfort food, napping, and being creative. Rico is so cute, a reserved fellow it seems. Bender is a ham. 😊

    The colors in the aboriginal strip sets are beautiful, nicely varied in the sets. Cute quilt shop! These are the kind of places you find that coveted OOP fabrics. Did I see some Grandiose there on the floor? Looking forward to seeing the Frankenbag done.

    Spent the afternoon digging out of the scraps, finding hidden ( lost) treasures, and compiling fabrics for future projects. Cut out pattern for pants. Cleared cutting table. Who knows what today will bring?

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    1. the quilt shop does have a good number of OOP fabrics. She will occasionally bring some treasures out of storage. It’s always a good idea to take a good look of what she has. And that’s when I really get in trouble. When I know something is hard to find and no longer in print, I usually buy at least a couple yards, more if it’s something I really love.

      Anne

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      1. I am always in trouble when I find OOP and fall in love😍. But some of the prices are just not affordable. So a little heartbreak💔 and then I see another one that is also thrilling. 😄

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  10. So impressed with Rico’s driving skills and your teamwork. And when you’re as handsome as Bender, why wouldn’t you take every opportunity to practice your best pose!

    I love all your scenic photos, especially the many variations of cloudy skies. As a much younger woman I guess I wasn’t very aware of the sky, wasn’t looking upward very often. And then when bumming a ride to work one morning with an older coworker, she pointed at the threatening stormclouds and remarked how beautiful they were. She said clear blue skies are so boring. She was so right and ever since I’ve admired those clouds whether white cotton puffs or ominous black and threatening.

    On a quilty note, I’m dying to see all those tubes begin to shape a quilt! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and hugs to the “guys”!

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    1. when I moved to Portland in 2010 I noticed that the skies are very different from what I was used to. I don’t know if it’s the altitude, the climate, the proximity to the ocean… the skies are just really incredible here.

      the back of my house faces due west and when I first moved here I couldn’t believe the gorgeous views I had of the sunsets! I still haven’t gotten used to it!

      Anne

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  12. What a lot of work in the training! He did so well by my untrained eye. I like how you said “that’ll do” at the end just like the man in “Babe” – “that’ll do, pig, that’ll do” ❤️. One of my favorites! Would love to visit that little quilt shop. I was at one like that before and the sheer magnitude of all the fabric was so overwhelming I had to find a chair and sit down 🤣! Your boys are so blessed to have you and vice versa ❤️❤️❤️❤️Living the good life for sure!

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    1. that cluttered quilt store can be quite overwhelming. It’s not a store you go to to see pretty things that will inspire you. It’s def a place to go to dig into piles of fabric. Best if you have an idea of what you’re looking for. But definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in Portland.

      Anne

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  14. Really enjoy seeing your boys and their clever antics. So smart AND good looking! Coming to visit my sis in NE Portland in the spring and we both love KFC fabrics. Is that shop a doable day trip? Got a chuckle when I read KFC in your post… most folks would think Kentucky Fried Chicken hahaha. But we know better!

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    1. It would probably only take you 20 minutes to get to that shop from NE Portland. It’s Country Manor in Battle Ground, WA. That’s near Vancouver.

      But, you could also check out Sisters quilt shop in Chehalis, WA, if you’re looking for a bit more of a trip. It’s about 90 min from my place in SW Portland. So maybe 1 hour 15 min from NE. It’s a lovely store. Lots of KFC fabrics and a really nice selection of Batiks.

      Definitely check out Pioneer Quilt Store in Milwaukie, Oregon (basically SE Portland). they have KFC AND Aboriginal fabrics, some lovely batiks, and a lot of other stuff. Really pretty little store and really friendly staff.

      Anne

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  15. Please repost the metal ruler/strip set strategy!!   My strip sets could use some guidance!       Thank you!

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  16. I enjoy walking along with you Rico and Bender. The pictures you take are wonderful and all the instructions you impart are very much appreciated.
    Have not used many Kafe Fassett fabrics yet but get inspired by you every time you show a new project. Thanks.

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  17. Love your blog–look for it everyday! My sis lives in Portland so I visit every now & then from Colo. Springs. Can you tell us the name or location of the farmland shop.. would be such a nice “field trip”. Thanks!! Linda

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  18. I adore the photos of the pups – how glorious! Would love to know the name and location of that quilt shop for future reference! Please and thank you 😊

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  19. Great adventure you took us on today! I had a laugh when I saw the picture of your strip pairs with the spaces showing your cutting mat….I actually liked the beige separating strips! Duh!

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      1. I know that’s right! Years ago I made a a quilt with the Chinese Coins patters, used my Aboriginal fabrics, so many vibrant colors, it was hard to find the sashing fabric…..certainly wasn’t beige!! Love your work, enjoy the holiday!

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  20. Love the photos of the evening sky. And I’m wondering where and what the name of the quilt shop you mentioned is located. Do you know if they ship? Your dogs always look so happy. Enjoy your long weekend!

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    1. The quilt store is Country Manor in Battle Ground, WA. they don’t have a website. You should be able to find their phone number with a Google search. I don’t know if they ship or not. Not sure how you’d shop without a website to see what they have.

      Good luck,

      Anne

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  21. Enjoyed the video with Rico. It was so cute the way he kept checking with you. I also appreciated the video about getting strips straight. I ordered a long metal ruler from Home Depot today.

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    1. rico is a good boy. It’s nice to have a dog who Will check in every now and again!

      Hope you like the ruler method. It’s really changed up how much I enjoy using strip sets.

      Anne

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  23. OMG! The training video was amazing! ❤️ Not only is Rico the perfect “Bucket Hat model”, he is the perfect dog! Don’t get me wrong, I love my four little lazy dogs, and I’m grateful they understand the words “potty” and “eat”! 🤣
    Your local fabric store looks jaw dropping! I wonder if they have an online website. I am so happy to be a new email subscriber although I followed you on Facebook previously!

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    1. My dogs are definitely not sleep around all day kind of dogs! If we don’t get some activity, we’re all miserable!

      the store is Country Manor in Battle Ground, WA. They don’t have a website. You can probably find a phone number with a Google search.

      thanks for reading!

      Anne

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  25. At first glance at the first photo of the Aboriginal strips I thought, how clever to introduce plain cream fabric with little spots of grey here and there as a stripe between. Ha ha! It does appeal to me, but on a closer look I realized it was your cutting mat showing through! I have some of this collected over the years and kept wondering what to do with it… thanks for all you share!

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    1. the Store is country Manor in Battle Ground,, WA. They don’t have a web page.

      I got my ruler years ago at either Ace hardware or True Value. Someone mentioned that they just bought one from Home Depot. It’s 48 inches.

      Anne

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  30. I’ve been to that little fabric shop several times….it’s a haul to get there, but the selection is not to be beat! I kind of like how disheveled it is and try to always start my quest in the sale room!

    I’m impressed that you and the boys had the energy for more walking late in the day. Especially Rico….what a guy!

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    1. She’s running sale on her back room right now. I think it’s an additional $2 off the price marked on the bolt. I didn’t go in there, but I’m sure there’s still a ton of stuff in there.

      These boys NEVEr say no to a walk!!!

      Anne

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      1. Thanks. I’m in Vancouver, so not far. I look forward to seeing your great photos of your dogs, and your latest creations. M

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  33. I just love your stories and how you work your dogs.. fascinating! I also would love to get my hands on some Kaffe material and you’re lucky You have that gold mine of material at your disposal!!!

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  34. I’m in Lake Oswego visiting my daughter and her family. I’d love to know the name is the barn-like store with all the Kaffe fabrics.

    I love your e-mails and have made many (and varied) Frankenbags!!

    Connie Jones

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    1. The store is called Country Manor in Battleground, WA. You can find it on Google.

      Also, you should check out Pioneer Quilts in Milwaukie, OR, just across the Willamette from Lake O. Good selection of Kaffe fabrics and also Aboriginals. A pretty little shop with friendly staff.

      Anne

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