By lee | September 1, 2010
If you read this blog regularly, it sure seems like I’ve done very little sewing this summer. And that is somewhat true. I mean, it’s hiking season and since I’m a fair weather hiker who doesn’t much enjoy hiking in the cold and the rain, I’ve got to hit the trail as much as I can during the summer. But I have been working on a few things and this I Spy Quilt for my niece Karina has been especially fun. Karina turned 8 this summer and just started 3rd grade. My sister re-decorated her room and so a new quilt was needed! I’ve always wanted to make an I Spy quilt and this was the perfect opportunity.
If you don’t know what it is, an “i spy” is a quilt where you use conversation prints, hopefully with every piece being different. Several different shapes can be used for the pieces and I decided to use hexagons. (I’m having a total love affair with hexagons this summer but that’s a whole different post.) I figured I would need 165 hexagons for the size quilt I wanted and there is no way I have that many different conversation prints in my stash. So I asked all my quilting friends for any interesting fabrics that they were willing to contribute. I was especially looking for sports prints, fishing prints and beach stuff. I wanted things that matched Karina’s interests. Well, I just got the greatest stuff. Susan even had a print with Russian nesting dolls which is perfect because Karina was adopted from Russia.
I considered several different ways to set the blocks and in the end put them in rows with a rainbow of solids gradating from yellow at the top to lime green at the bottom. My sister used primary colors when she redecorated Karina’s room so I think this will complement it perfectly. And since Karina is not a real girly girl, I chose this floral for the border.
I’m really pleased with how it’s turning out. I just took my mom’s quilt off the long-arm today so I need to get these borders sewn on and I can quilt this one next. I can’t wait to get it done and send it off to Karina. I hope she likes it.
My friend Judy and I teach the tuffet class at Pioneer Quilts. I know I’ve mentioned the tuffets before on the blog but I can’t seem to find the previous post. Anyway, I’ve just got to share pictures because they are so adorable. We had five students in the class and they walk away with a totally finished tuffet at the end of the second class. It’s so rewarding.
Everyone one picked very different colors and I love them all.
In our previous tuffet class, one of the students had shared an article from Quilters Home that featured a square tuffet. I decided to make one to match the new loveseat in our TV room. I used some old upholstry fabrics that were leftover from this and that. The sewing and stapling of the cover were a bit more difficult than the round one, but I am satisfied with the result.
And it looks great with our new red loveseat.
I want to change the curtains and I think this room will be done. Although is a room ever really done? Not for me. There is always something that needs to be tweaked or pictures that need to be swapped. I like my house to change to keep it interesting. Anyhoooo, very fun project.
Knitting is always fun and yesterday was no exception. Besides the knitting and quilting and beading and sewing, we all love to cook. You really couldn’t ask for more! Lynda baked a fabulous cake out of the Simply Organic cookbook. The cake is lemon basil and it is amazing. I wouldn’t have thought basil would be great in a cake but this totally changed my mind. It was very moist and yummy.
Janet made her special chocolate chip cookies. They are the best I’ve ever eaten.
I could not resist eating both. Delicious and pretty too.
Lynda has recently retired and she is on a crafting bender. I can’t believe how much she gets done. Lynda and Viv have gotten hooked on these knitted bracelets. I think they are terrific and I want to learn how to make them and I don’t want to learn how to make them all at the same time. I’ve got so many projects to finish and I just can’t afford to get hooked on something new.
Lynda made the purple necklace and bracelet to wear to a wedding and they look so nice. It is wonderful to hang out with such talented women.
Posted in Food, Knitting |
My best friend in high school was Miss Kitty Finklea. We did everything together. We got into trouble together, saw each other through lots of teenage angst and were around for some big milestones in each others lives. After high school, we went to the same college for the first two years. These are our pictures from our college freshman yearbook. These pix just crack me up. We were sooooo young.
I left South Carolina after my sophomore year of college and since then, our lives have gone down very different roads. We have kept up with each other all these years, but the only spent time together is when I’ve been back south to visit family.
This week Kitty came out to Portland for work and stayed an extra three days so we could hang out. It’s been just great. There is so much warmth and history between us and we’ve just picked up right where we left off.
When I asked Kitty what she wanted to do while she was in Portland, her response was “Eat and Hike” Request granted! Yesterday we went to Pok Pok for lunch. If you live here and haven’t been there, it’s a must. Pok Pok serves Thai food and was voted Portland’s restaurant of the year in 2007.
Delicious coconut cocktails! I mean, it’s vacation, right?!
Full and happy after a great lunch.
Today we headed out to the gorge to satisfy the hiking request. I decided on Eagle Creek because it’s the quintessential gorge hike. We got there early and had a perfect day.
After our hike, we headed back to Portland and stopped at Fleur De Lis for a sandwich. It’s one of the best bakeries in the city and it didn’t disappoint today. And tonight for dinner, the whole family was here and Ricked cooked a great dinner: green beans with heirloom tomatoes, fennel and apricot salad, roasted potatoes and grilled pork loin chops. Everything was locally sourced and delicious. We all sat around the table until well after dark chatting and laughing. Perfect ending to a great day.
Posted in Food, Hiking, Misc. |
Rick’s youngest brother John has been here visiting along with his twelve year old son Spencer. We’ve been having a really fun time. We’ve been to the gorge, the zoo, the coast and places in town. Rick and John are ten years apart in age but they look so alike.
Still silly brothers. Rick is the oldest of five and John is the youngest and it’s been a blast to hear all the stories that John tells from when they were kids. Funny how Rick’s never told us these stories!
We headed out to the beach and got one afternoon of sun. John and Spencer are from Miami and get sun all the time, so they thought the cold and clouds were pretty nice.
Father and son at Multnomah Falls. Look at those beautiful curls!
And can’t you tell that Liza looks like the LePage side of the family?
I really love when family comes to visit. We’ve lived far away from both sides of our family almost our entire marriage, so it’s such a joy to spend time with them. I love the eating and laughing and sharing stories. It’s the best.