Month: May 2024

I’m slowly getting back to normal after a few hectic weeks. Our weather has dipped a little away from spring with some rainy and cool days. Almost all our spring blooms are done and the roses are starting to show all their glory.

The peonies are just starting to open and the first blooms are gorgeous! This one must have been almost 8 inches across!

And some lovely red poppies… I just love poppies.

I’m sorry to say that Rico peed on that poppy after I took that photo. Bad dog.

And I’ve been lucky enough to have a few strawberries off my new plants. I wish I could get enough for breakfast some morning. I just love that I grew these!

And speaking of flowers… on Thursday afternoon my doorbell rang, which rarely happens. And standing there was a woman with a bouquet of flowers for me. They were from a consultant that I’ve worked with for years… to congratulate me on my recent award. They are so gorgeous and the entire house smells wonderful!

Over the last couple evenings I’ve been chunking away at the purple and aqua batik blocks. I’ve finished 12 of 20 blocks. I’m hoping to have all these blocks done this weekend.

That’s not the final layout… I’m just tossing these blocks up on the wall as I get them done.

This next picture shows how the blocks will be spaced out when this is done. Where the white of my design wall shows through will be more batik strips. So the plaid design will be accentuated with those lines.

I really wish I could get a good photo of those batiks. They are so dark in this photo. In reality they are softer and much more vibrant. I’m enjoying sewing with them. It’s been some time since I made a quilt from batiks.

I played pickleball again this morning then headed up to Washington for Rico’s weekly sheep herding lesson. The big field we usually work in was covered with tall grass, which means the dog would have a difficult time seeing the sheep. So we worked in a smaller field on some close work. Rico, of course, did an amazing job!

Once we were done I headed over to the large field at the Washington State University campus to let these boys run. And speaking of tall grass… it must have been a foot taller than it was last week!

The dogs were soaked in no time since the grass was wet from some rain showers. Bender got some sticky weed stuck all over himself!

They had so much fun running through that tall grass! And I had a hard time locating them at times. Rico got lost once… he went out quite a ways and got all discombobulated. He was trying to find me and follow the sound of my voice as I called his name. It took him some time and effort to find the right direction.

We got pretty wet out there as a pretty blustery little squall came through as we were walking. I’m glad I thought to put on my rain coat before we headed out. But it was a beautiful day, although cool.

I’m playing pickleball tomorrow morning with my friend who just moved here. Then I hope to get cracking on those quilt blocks. On Sunday I’m playing pickleball with the same friend and her husband and my pickleball coach. I’m looking forward to it!

I’m happy to have a nice long weekend.

I’m still ruminating on my black woven quilt so decided to dig into a new palate cleanser. You might remember that I did a palate cleanser quilt a few months ago.

I had quite a frenzy of productivity over the first few months of this year. That furor has abated but I’m finding myself ready to get back into my sewing room. So tonight I started a new palate cleansing quilt project — a project that will clear out my mind, be quick and easy to make, and get me ready for something more involved.

I’ve been thinking about this packet of purple and aqua batiks that I pulled together into a set a few years ago. The picture shows the pattern I had intended to make.

I never could get very excited about that pattern after I bought it. But I’ve seen several quilts made from this All Inked Up tutorial using Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics recently and I’ve really liked them.

So I decided to use those purple and aqua batiks and got started this evening.

First, I pressed all those fabrics that have been folded and in that bag for years.

Once pressed, I cut four 8-inch squares from each piece. The pattern calls for 10 inch squares but I want to make this a rectangular throw size quilt and the smaller size will make that more workable and a better size.

The pattern also calls for a contrasting fabric for the strips in the blocks. But I decided to use the batiks in the quilt. All the fabrics in this package were 1/3 yard cuts. So I had enough for the 8 inch squares with enough left over to cut the strips for the accent pieces, and enough for a 2.5 inch WOF strip from most of the fabrics that I can use in a future project.

Then I combined four 8-inch squares with an accent strip so I could just fly once I was ready to sew. That’s 20 “kits” in that pile. Enough to make 20 large blocks. I’m planning to make this quilt 4 blocks by 5 blocks.

Once all the pressing and cutting and kit making was done I hunkered down and made four blocks because I wanted to get a feel for how this was going to look.

I’m still not quite sure how to layout the blocks. I’ll play with that once I have more blocks completed.

The blocks will be sewn together with a strip of sashing that’s the same width as the accent strips. This sashing helps establish more of a plaid pattern across the quilt top. This made me realize that I’m going to have to cut up all my left over 2.5 inch strips to Make the accent strips I’ll need. Well damn.

I’ve isolated one block in this photo so you can see what each block looks like.

This should go together quickly. I spent a good deal of time prepping the fabric tonight and still managed to get four blocks made. I would guess that I can have these blocks made before the week is out.

My friend Linda flew home yesterday. The house is very quiet. It rained all day today and I had to turn on the furnace. I had the air conditioner running just a week ago.

As our last hurrah while she was still here we headed to the coast on Sunday. It was a nearly perfect day and we all had a wonderful time.

I was worried that it would be really crowded, but we had some rain on the drive west and I think that little bit of weather convinced a lot of people to head home early. We had all the room we needed on the beaches.

When we first got to Cannon Beach we stopped at Center Diamond quilt shop. I bought one piece of batik. Linda bought a few pieces. Rico barked in the car the entire time we were in the store. As we were leaving a Cannon Beach police car pulled into the parking lot. I was sure they were there because Rico was such a bad dog. But they were actually there to drop off to ladies who needed a ride to the quilt store! Don’t you just love small towns?

After the visit to the fabric store we hit the south end of Cannon Beach and let the dogs have a good run. We walked for two miles. I’m guessing the dogs ran 15 miles!

Bender and Rico absolutely LOVE the beach! All the sand… the water… all that space to get out and really run!!! It’s their best day!

After we all had a good workout we headed south to the next beach and sat in the parking lot with a view to eat the lunch we brought with us. Then we headed south to Wheeler, Oregon, to grab some ice cream and ate it beachside in Manzanita. After we finished dessert we got the dogs out on Manzanita beach for another run before we headed home.

We were home by about 7 pm. We grabbed a quick dinner and while Linda packed for her trip home I cut the sashing strips and sharks teeth squares for the Blue Swirly quilt Linda bought fabric for earlier in the week. So all she’ll have to do is cut the center strips and then start sewing!

I played pickleball last night and again this morning. It felt great to be out there again. I hadn’t played since Linda arrived. I will play again tomorrow night.

My friend who recently purchased a house here for her retirement will arrive with her husband, three dogs and all their belongings in two days. We’re already planning our pickleball adventures!

It’s been a whirlwind around here since I last posted here. We finished up a difficult and challenging radio fundraising drive. I had to make a quick trip to Las Vegas for work. I’ve had company at my house for over a week.

So, first off, I teased my Vegas trip in my last post. But now that it’s over I can share the reason for that last minute trip here. Several weeks ago I received a call letting me know that I had been selected as the 2024 recipient of the C. Scott Elliott Development Professional of the Year award. This reward recognizes Public Television development professionals who have had notable careers. I know a good number of people who have won this award in the past. It was a bit of a surprise that I had been selected.

I had to go to Vegas to accept the award and give a bit of an acceptance speech.

That’s a photo that my boss took. Here’s the official photographer’s shot with the actual award in my hands.

I didn’t get to bring the award home. I needs to be engraved and then they will ship it to me. I’ll share photos once I receive it.

It’s a pretty big deal to be selected for this award and I’m among a pretty impressive group of individuals. It’s really an honor to be selected. Here’s the pertinent paragraph from when I was introduced:

THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT, IN HER 28-YEAR TENURE IN PUBLIC MEDIA, HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP LUMINARIES IN OUR FUNDRAISING INDUSTRY. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER AT THE TWO STATIONS SHE HAS SERVED, SHE HAS BROUGHT VISION, RIGOR, AND AN EXCEPTIONAL LEVEL OF SKILL AND INNOVATION THAT HAS HAD DEEP IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES SHE HAS SERVED. SHE IS KNOWN AS AN INNOVATOR, AN EXPANSIVE THINKER AND CHAMPION AND MENTOR TO NOT ONLY HER TEAM, BUT TO THE PUBLIC MEDIA SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. SHE LEADS WITH DETERMINATION, INTEGRITY AND A PHILOSOPHY FOUNDED ON THE PREMISE THAT WE SERVE A GREATER COMMUNITY, THAT MEMBERS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THAT BEING A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PUBLIC MEDIA SERVICE PLACES OUR MEMBERS AT THE CENTER OF WHO WE ARE AND EVERYTHING WE DO. SHE IS DOGGED IN HER PURSUIT OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA.

It was so odd to hear those words about me spoken from the podium! But it was really fun to see colleagues from around the country that I haven’t seen for years. Also had a lovely dinner with a chosen few to celebrate.

I had an amazing room in Vegas…. on the 57th floor with some pretty spectacular views. I could lay in bed and watch the fountain at Caesar’s Palace, could see the new Sphere, Paris casino, and a lovely view of the mountains.

Vegas is such a strange city. I really don’t see the appeal it holds for people. It was an honor to be there, but I was perfectly happy to be on a plane out of there and I was definitely happy to be home.

My friend, Linda, Flew in and stayed with my boys while I was gone, and I arranged to take the rest of the weeks off so we could have a few days together.

We’ve been buying way too much fabric! Linda decided she is going to make my Blue Swirly quilt for a friend of hers who loves blue. So buying the fabrics for that quilt was our task for today. We actually made our sixth trip to a fabric store today! And our third time to the SAME store! I’m happy to say that I didn’t actually buy any fabric today! I did buy a pack of 10 empty bobbins for my Bernina.

We were planning on going to the coast on Friday but we went out to dinner on Thursday, the day I came home from Vegas, and Linda had a bad stomach from that meal. So we’re hoping to get out there tomorrow.

Since we were near a big field that my boys love on our trek today, we stopped to give them a nice run in the tall grass.

They had so much fun in that grass. It was hard to get Rico to come out at all.

Bender, on the other hand…

We have had some productive moments over the last couple days. I managed to buy some tomato plants, lettuce starts, and a honey suckle and got them all planted.

I’ve wanted a honey suckle growing on this fence for some time. Fingers crossed that it thrives here.

Over the last couple days my friend has been helping me chunk away at finish my Brandon Leftover quilt top. And we got it done tonight!

I did all the sewing and Linda did the pressing. It goes so much faster with someone to press!

I just love seeing this all done!

And look at these corners! These make me pretty happy!

And with that, I’m starting to think about my next project. I had a bit of a change of mind today. I was thinking about making another Interweave quilt, but decided to make a version of this quilt at Boersma’s sewing center in McMinnville, OR, and I bought the pattern a few months ago.

As soon as I saw this in the store the ideas started flowing! More as I get a better idea of how I’m going to do this. I’m getting excited about starting a new project.

On the way back home from McMinnville yesterday we ran across the most gorgeous huge field of crimson Clover.

I try to make a point every spring of getting out into a field of crimson clover. You should have heard the bees!

I’m so glad we saw this field and that it was easy to get to.

And finally, the roses are blooming! All of a sudden, they’re everywhere!

It feels good to be home.

Had a good sleep in this morning. It felt so good after so many early mornings this last week. After a good breakfast and a strong cup of coffee and a few snuggles with Bender and Rico, I headed off to a local Quilt store to pick up the quilts I had one of the workers there bind for me.

While I was there I picked up a couple half yards of Australian Aboriginal prints to line the two Frankenbags I’ll make from the trimmings from my living room quilt.

Those will be some bold linings! I’m a firm believer that the lining of a bag is no place to scrimp! If. you look a the very bottom right of that bag body, you’ll see both of those fabrics.

I played pickleball after the fabric store and I had a blast! I played really well… I was aggressive and agile and played really hard. Several people commented on how well I was playing. I won nearly every game this afternoon. I was a sweaty mess when I was done.

When I got home I pulled out the quilts I had picked up to take a gander. And I have to say, I’m really happy with the job she did. They are finished beautifully!

It was especially wonderful to see this quilt done because it gave me such fits when I was sewing the top together.

I like that little big of orange and pink binding on that field of back and white.

I’m happy to see the whole picture on this one and am so glad it’s all done!

I really love that backing. It’s so cheerful.

Here are the other four quilts.

On this one the binding is the same as the baking fabric.

Same with this one. The purple binding is also on the back.

Mmmmm. I love all that orange.

This purple and red one was the one my friend and I made a couple summers ago when she was visiting. It’s about time this is done.

So much red.

And the last one is the one that I’ve had sitting around the longest. I really love this little quilt.

It poured all day again today. We’ve gotten close to two more inches of rain this weekend. Luckily, it cleared up after dinner tonight and I was able to get my boys and myself out for a nice walk. It was still really wet out there even though no rain was falling.

Busy week of work coming up. And when I’m able to I’ll be playing pickleball. It really helps me deal with the stress of work. It’s so good for me.

I’ve had several early mornings this week and had to be on the job before 7 am today. That’s a terrible way to start a Saturday. But I was done by 10 am and was quickly on my way to Molalla in the rain for Rico’s sheep herding lesson.

It poured all the way there. We lucked out and had pretty good weather during our lesson. But it was damned wet out there!

I make a habit of always having my rubber boots in my car. Even in the summer. You never know when you’re going to need them in the Pacific Northwest.

Rico did an amazing job! Our teacher gave us a little course to run and Rico did such an amazing job! He was so happy and enthusiastic, yet cool and collected.

And when we were done we did a little actual work and moved the sheep we had been working into a pen for the afternoon.

He loves this so much! It’s really what he was meant to do. It’s really fun to see his training in a practical application.

After another rainy drive home I grabbed some lunch … scrambled eggs and toast! I was chilled and it was warm and comforting.

Then I did a little housework in prep for my friend’s arrival in a little over a week. I got the bed in the guest room made and got the room dusted and vacuumed. So that room is ready for company. Then I tidied up the living room so all I need to do there is dust and vacuum. Then I dug out about 20 large bags of old dog treats that were all expired between 2018 and 2022!!! I can’t even imagine what that all cost me. I’m trying to be much more conservative in my dog treat buying habits now. Sheesh!

One thing I tidied up in my living room was the fabric and batting left over from having my living room quilt finished. So while I was dealing with the batting, I decided to go ahead and cut it to make quilt sandwiches for a couple of the Frankenbag panels I made from the pieces I trimmed from that quilt a few weeks ago.

I got the two quilt sandwiches finished and even managed to quilt these two pieces.

I decided that this needed to be quilted with black thread. It’s nearly impossible to see the black thread on that black fabric so I’m sure it’s wonkier than usual. But if I can’t see it, I would doubt anyone else can.

Once the two panels were quilted I trimmed them to size and cut out the corners for the gussets.

I stopped there and fed the dogs and myself some dinner. Then I realized that the rain was sort of light so we headed out for a two mile walk before it got dark.

The rhododendrons are so gorgeous right now.

These blooms were enormous! And they had the most beautiful pale pink in the centers.

Look at this gorgeous pink one!

I had never seen a rhododendron in person until I moved to Portland. And they are everywhere here! So many different colors and sizes.

I think this deep orange one is a variety of azalea. It’s really striking. The blooms on this one are MUCH larger than on the regular azaleas.

There are so many trees in bloom still. The dogwoods are fading a little but they aren’t done yet. You can smell the lovely aroma of the blooms in the air. This red horse chestnut tree is one of my favorites in the neighborhood.

When we got home I decided to hit my sewing room again and make the handles for the bag panels I quilted earlier. I was happy to find the pieces already cut to size in my sewing room closet.

I usually use brown vinyl for my handles but this bag was screaming for black,

Since I had gotten that far I went ahead and sewed the outer bag together.

Here’s the other side.

It’s really fun to see the trimmings from that quilt come together in such a random bag. I really like it. Now I just need to decide what to line it with.

I might go ahead and make up the two other panels I made from those trimmings before I make the linings and pockets and finish both bags.

I’m going to go pick up five quilts from a woman who has hand-finished the bindings for me. I found her at a local quilt store a few weeks ago. These are the five quilts that I traded quilting for finished quilt tops last summer. I’m pretty happy I found someone to do the bindings for me. I love a hand finished binding but my hands just can’t take the wear and tear. I have to save them for pickleball!

After the visit to the fabric store I’m going to play pickleball. I’m signed up to play at one place and am on the waiting list for another place. Both at 1:00. I’m really hoping I move off the waiting list at the second place because that’s really where I want to play. Fingers crossed.

I hope to get a little more house keeping done tomorrow and I would like to get one half of my Brandon leftover quilt sewn up. I also need to see if I can find some kind of top for my trip to Vegas in ten days. Working from home does not keep your professional wardrobe up to snuff!