A 'Sew-cial' Day

Robin Atkins showing with one of her framed series of 'beady journals'

Yesterday was a day for being 'sew-cial'. The 'sew-cials' are probably one of my favorite things our guild does since I get both a day of relatively uninterrupted time to sew as well as time to visit with friends I don't get to see all that often. I love being able to catch up on what everyone has been doing and what they are working on. Friends really 'float my boat' - though I suspect most people don't think that's really true of me! Yesterday, the weather 'cooperated' in that it was overcast - otherwise a summer day can mean a lower turn out around here! In the Pacific Northwest we tend to grab our summer when a good day offers itself!

Robin Atkins, who I think is one of the most talented, lovely people around, was showing us how she had framed her incredible beady journals. They are, in a word, awesome. If you have not already seen her new book - that details these treasures, you owe it to yourself to get a copy! I was pretty excited to learn that she plans to do some local classes soon - that's something I have been hoping for! Where do I sign up?!

Explaining how she mounted the journal 'pages'

I always like to look at the sewing machines at our sew-cials. We had the Bernina table (see my tangerine dream?!), the Singer Featherweight table (we have an active Featherweight fan club here-myself included), and the Pfaff table. We also had a scattering of Vikings and Babylocks. I adore sewing machines, both old and new, and would dearly love to be able to try each brand out. Unfortunately, that is an addiction that my pocketbook will never support!

Lunch was a salad bar that was fir for the finest restaurants - I think we must surely have some of the most talents cooks around. Of course, there were also the requisite sweets. I overindulged in chocolate!

I worked on finishing up my SAQA auction piece - just some beading left to be done. I got my Journal Quilt for this year started too - I am really going to have fun with this one! It's all about fire! I am excited too, that my 'have to do's' are almost done. I over committed myself a bit & am looking forward to some time to just play without deadlines for just awhile...though, as we all know, there is always something that comes along that will simply have to be done!

The Bernina table

The Featherweight table

One of the Pfaff tables

It Was A Wonderful, "Sewcial" Day!

This is the wonderful room at the Senior Center that we rent for our get-togethers.

Today was a "Sewcial" day for our quilting group. It was the day for the annual Mystery Quilt - though all are welcome to come, socialize and work on whatever we want to. I had wanted to do the mystery quilt this year - for a service project, but I had fallen too far behind on other deadline projects - so I had to put the mystery aside for another day. I got the instructions! I think that we have "Sewcials" scheduled for June and July as well - looking forward to them! The "Sewcials" are my favorite's since I don't often get to go and play with my quilting friends The weekly meetings are held on one of my busiest work days, so I am generally ready to go home at the end of the day. These fun days are that much more important and special to me. These are the friends I will be growing older with. That's important !

Here is Linda working on cutting out a pattern and Janet sitting by her trusty Janome trying to figure how how in the heck these mysterious clues go together!

We like to hold our meetings in the Senior Center - look the gorgeous, clean, light filled room! It's the best ! There is a full professional kitchen too and we have some of the best cooks ever in our group - so the luncheon pot lucks are always absolutely awesome!

We get to enjoy our lunch outside where we can enjoy the amazing gardens.

It is such a nice break to sit, chat and relax a bit before going back to the sewing machines. It was the hottest day that we have had this year so far - int he 80's and becoming a bit muggy.

Maude and Linda were hard at work on their projects.

This is Kris's drop dead gorgeous quilt that she recently finished! Isn't it wonderful? She had also finished not one bt TWO other great projects. She's been the ultimate power sewer lately.

It was a lovely day filled with creativity and friendship - what a great combination. I am very grateful to be a part of such an all around fabulous group of women - and it will be an honor to age gracefully with them!

Quilt Show Day Trip

Yesterday our Guild, Rainshadow Quilting Arts, organized a great day trip to the mainland. Each year the Fidalgo Island Quilters has a quilt show in Anacortes, Washington. This year's theme was "a garden party". We all piled onto the ferry - we did not even have to take the "red-eye" ! The red eye ferry leaves at 6:00 am. When we go for a "Costco run" we have to get up at 4:30 am in order to get in line to be able to make the 'red-eye'. The next ferry that leaves is an 8:05 - and the best part is that this is a direct ferry - so it only takes 1.5 hours to get to the mainland. Since we were not taking cars we all walked on - and that means we got to 'sleep in' on our Saturday! We were also truly lucky that the weather behaved as well. It has been unusually cool and rainy this past week, but Saturday dawned clear and, though there was a very sharply cold breeze ,we all were relieved that it was not raining!

Twenty one of us were met by a luxury bus for the short trip into Anacortes. We were dropped off by the first of our fiber fix stops at Fabrics Plus. The shop give a 20 per cent discount on everything in the store for this event each year - so you can imagine that those of us who are regularly fabric staved exercised our 'plastic' more than usual on this shop-a-holic day! The bus picked us up two hours later at the next fabulous fabric frenzied stop - The Quilt Shop. This shop also offers the discount and always has additional staff on hand to handle the extra textile hoarding that occurs each year.

Of course, many of us HAD to make an additional stop at our favorite mainland yarn shop - Anacrossstitch - for a fix of yarn, gadgets,luxurious supplies like hand dyed threads, books, perle cottons, cross stitch threads etc. This shop just keeps getting better and better. It's a fiber fanatics fantasy land.We are all really blessed to have the availability of such incredible fabric and yarn shops almost in our own back yard.

Next stop - the quilt show ! This year was, I have to say, one of the best years yet. The quilts on display were fabulous - incredible workmanship. One of the highlights of the show is always the Divas fashion Show. The Divas are a branch of Fidalgo Island Quilters that concentrate on wearable art. They are an amazing, talented group & are always doing something interesting. Thankfully my friend, Janet, hauls my lazy butt to their meetings now and then. I am always glad that I listened to Janet because I always have a great time with the Divas. I am so glad that she has accepted the position of being my social 'arranger' - without her I would probably hibernate and never have any fun!

I would love to post some photos of the amazing quilts at the show - but am not sure that I can give proper credit to all of them. I will post some photos of those whose makers names I am certain of though - next time!

Thanks especially to Bonnie, Beth & Claudia who really worked hard to insure that we all had a great care free, inspirational day of fun with friends & fabric!

Saturday With Friends

I had a lovely relaxing sew day with friends yesterday. Sometimes you just need to talk and get caught up- and that's what we did a lot of ! It's good to be with people who have known you for quite awhile - it ups the comfort level in sharing news of our lives. Our hostess with the mostest made a delectable cauliflower-cheese soup for lunch; complete with sour dough rolls and ooey gooey brownies (complements of her DH). I want the soup recipe ! Her DH and I talked about cameras & lenses & then he most generously lent me my favorite lens to play with. I seriously NEED this lens! It's perfect for what I like to photograph the most! It's on my birthday list now ! Look at all of that light in the workroom ... and space! J worked on a fabulous knitted cowl in some Oh ! So Soft ! Mountain Colors yarn. MJ worked on a vexing pillow case form. LP was sewing on a Christmas piece that highlights the spitting image of her DH. I did some FMQ on my tree study for the larger piece that is to come & JC was working on a fabulous color wheel .. what a cool idea ! It was a day of friendship& creativity.

Here is our hostess and her most recent work - she says it's taking a long time - but it's fabulous ! I especially like the shape of it - long and narrow.

Below is portion of my favorite quilt that she has made. It makes me smile broadly every time I see it. I have the pattern and I need to really get in gear and make my own version - since it seems to fit our household so well ! Maybe I need to just go more often to admire it in her house - mine will never be this good !

Thanks to ALL of my friends both near, far & farthest (cyber space) for enriching my life and always encouraging me in my own artistic endeavors. Without all of you I might have never had the determination to keep growing and trying new things ! Thank You !

Make My Day Award

Gunnel & Verbodie sent me this award. I apologize to them both for taking this long to thank them for their kind thoughts and for taking the time to always check my blog and, best of all, to send me notes! I love the notes !

It touches me because when I began this blog I never thought that anyone would really read it. Now, I am attached to it and enjoy the friends I have made through it so very much. The caveat is to pass this along to people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about being a member of the blogging community! The recommended number is ten. I'll add : Sandra,Vicki, Sue, Sarah,Kathy,Wanda,Kim, Jenclair,Waltraud, Lynn. Some of you may have had this already - and if so, please feel no pressure to participate yet again !