Quilting

I do now and have always loved quilts. I cherish a couple that were my grandmothers and I even have some pattern pieces she had stashed away in her bible. I unfortunately have no skill in that area. I have tried several times to produce a quilt, have started more than one and never finished one yet. I decided the other day that with all that fabric I really ought to find  a use for it. I want to quilt, I love the finished products and I would use them but I just can't get the hang of it somehow. So, I got a book about beginning quilting at the local quilt store. I have more than enough fabric and I decided I would work on using up the fabric up that I had to try to make a quilt. Perfection would not be required (good thing I make up my own rules) and I will work on it slowly so not to frustrate myself. I  needed to get some things before I start so I made a quick trip  the quilt store for the suggested items to start quilting with from the book I bought. I knew I needed a new blade for my rotary cutter. The book I bought suggested some rulers in particular sizes and I picked one up. I do not want this to become a huge investment, though as my track record with quilting is not good. We will see. Even if I can't make them it doesn't dim my love for them one bit.  Stay tuned for the progress on that front.
Until next time, hope stitching finds a place in your day. Marjo

Long over due

Gretchen and her finishes.

Can't believe how long it has been since I posted. I think of it but getting the pictures together somehow always bogs me down and I get behind. I am going to start leaving my camera in the car as the weather is a little warmer and that will afford me the opportunity to get some better scenic pictures for you.  This past weekend was mine to work so not so much stitching but between having to take my car in for a check up and waiting for some testing for my husband I have managed quite a bit of progress on CHS  Alphabets this last couple of days. I got 2 more letters done and almost a third one with the flowers added on the vine and even most of one of the boxes filled in around the words. I love making progress. I haven't made stitching night since we got back from retreat due to working late.  I miss going to stitching with my friends so much, I actually get to resent work when I can't have my personal time with my friends.
As for retreat, it was lovely as always. I was really tired when I got there but was happy and rested when I left with some stitching done, too much food and laughter and some different movies this time. I will have to get one of the girls to tell me the names of the movies we did watch. We had 3 this time and they were all different.

I think 3 of us had finishes and we oohed and aahed over whatever the others were stitching. Gretchen, I think, was the only one who had two finishes. Lots of talent in that group. The weather was snowy in snits but not bad and no more than we are used to. Several braved the trails; I didn't as I was really worn out this time and just didn't have the energy.  Not so many great sunsets this time but we could really tell there was more daylight in general. It was beautiful. Sigh. We have already booked our next retreat there. This is a shot of a lovely sitting area that is part of the breakfast area, the view is the entire valley full of sunlight. Awesome place to sit and just relax. Love it.
Hope your week finds some stitching time.
Marjo

Pictures from retreat (picture heavy)

Had a wonderful retreat with friends and got a bit of stitching finished but no pics of it to post yet. Hope by the end of the week I will have delivered the gift and then will post a picture. It took way longer to stitch than I thought as always but the stitching is complete and finishing will be done soon as I can find the backside piece of fabric.
Several people had finishes and everyone had plenty to stitch on, more so than we could ever finish. We started out at the local eatery, and then onto one of the local quilt stores. We may not have a needlework store but we have plenty of yarn and quilt stores around. I may have to go back to that quilt store to get a pattern for a lovely log cabin design. Not that I quilt but someday......
The weather turned out okay, it was snowing when I left but I don't think we had any more snow over the weekend. It was cold but the house has in floor heating and lots of windows so we were toasty warm. Friends, good books, good food and movies to enjoy and all the stitching you could possibly do. What more could a stitcher ask for? I wanted to share with you just how beautiful this place is. Lovely antique quilts, warm wooden furniture, wide open vistas and lots of great friends.
Hope your week has some time for stitching in it.
Marjo

Retreat!!!!

My friends and I leave for our Spring? retreat today. It of course is snowing... after all it is Alaska. We meet for lunch and then maybe some fabric store browsing and then off to stitch for 3 days of fun, food, a good movie (we always have a movie night) and stitching, stitching stitching. I am taking more to stitch than will ever see the light of day but then I always do. It all has to get stitched anyway. I may even throw in a new start if I get bold. You never know what will make the final cut.
I am taking tonight's supper and a lunch choice (we tend to graze for lunch) and everyone else will add to the mix. You never know what will show up but it never fails to be good stuff.
Stitching time, long periods of stitching time, good friends, good food, you gotta love it.
Hope you have some stitching time in your weekend as well. Marjo

Isn't he cute??

I have a weakness somehow for hedgehogs. I have a hedgehog pincushion and now I have a hedgehog beeswax. I just thought it was so cute and I really fancy the little touches beeswax adds to my stitching baskets.

I finally found the Hedgehog sampler by Sheepish Designs. I think he will have to move closer to the top of the new start pile. It should be a fun quick finish something that does not often visit my house as my favorite designs seem to be the truly large pieces.

Here is the stash that came from Hedgehog Handworks this week. It is the required AVAS for this sampler. Now to my fabric stash to find a piece of fabric to work it on. It calls for 35 count but I don't think I have any that size or even 36 count. Most of my fabric is 40 count. I love the colors in this.

Hope you have a stitchy day. Thanks for stopping by my cosy part of the great Northwest. Marjo

Questions answered

For those of you that had questions on my last post I wanted to answer them. I grew up in Macon, Georgia, went to college in Augusta, Georgia and lived in the Atlanta suburbs for 18 years before my husband decided he wanted to move to Alaska for  a better job opportunity. We have been here 9 years. I came virtually kicking and screaming and now don't really want to move away, at least not for a while. This is my view from the walking path next to my house. I have gotten quite accustomed to it over time.
Hope your day is full of stitches.
Marjo

Sunny Sunday afternoon

It took me, a southerner for almost all of my life, a long time to get used to winter in Alaska. The first time I tried to drive my husband to work in the snow I cried. He so thoughtfully shared that memory with me this morning as we were contemplating our plans for the day. It has snowed in spurts here the last couple of days and we have quite a bit of snow out and about. Where once I quailed at the thought of driving in it- convinced I would go off the road and be stuck forever and freeze- now I will drive in almost anything and laugh at myself and my earlier fears. Today is a beautiful day full of sunshine and still freezing temperatures. The blue sky and sunshine makes up for me the falling temps. I realized yesterday driving home from work that in Alaska (unlike Georgia where I grew up) you celebrate spring with the addition of light to your day as opposed to the blooms on the flowers or trees. Don't get me wrong, Alaskans are all about flowers and many people have greenhouses in order to be able to plant ahead as frost won't be gone until much later here but all summer long flowers there will be. Currently we are up to not quite 11 hours of daylight from a low where I live of 5 hours 27 minutes. Our peak daylight for the area will be 19 hours and 22 minutes. Other parts of the state will get more light and some less.
On the stitching front I have spent more time cleaning my stitching room up than I have with needle and thread but DH and the Kordog are out to walk through the white stuff and I am settling in for some stitching time. Hope your Sunday was bright and you got some stitchy time. Marjo