Road to California

Yesterday, two friends and I took a road trip to Road to CA.

It was particularly exciting this time because, not only did we have a quilt hanging a quilt in the show, the quilt had a ribbon hanging on it!!  Another friend sent this picture to me on Wednesday, during Preview Night.

 Will you look at that?!!  Best Group Quilt!  Congratulations, Sew Eclectic!!

 When I arrived on Sunday, I was a bit disappointed by the quilt's presentation.  It was hung about thigh level, and the signage almost blocked it from view.  I am grateful that Linda was able to get such a good shot for me!

I hadn't been to Road in several years.  This year was the best presentation of quilts that I have ever seen there.  As the years went by, the vendors grew in prominence, and the quilts?  Well, I often had to work to see them.  But not this year.  This year, the quilts were set apart, with decent lighting, good signage, room for viewing, and piano music playing in the background.  It made viewing them pleasurable, rather than some sort of athletic competition to swim past other attendees to see the quilts.  oh yes.  This year's show was wonderful.  I am certain that we will be returning next year.

I did a bit of shopping, but just a bit.  My big purchase was perle cotton, to work on that little roses piece that I've been giving you glimpses of.

We drove down to Ontario and back yesterday.  As we came over the mountain, my friend commented on the "smog."  I told her it wasn't smog, it was fog.  This is what fog is like in SoCal.  They rarely have the clouds-on-the-ground type of fog that we experience in the Central Valley.  Instead they have "haze" and "overcast" and "marine layer," which are all ways to refer to that above ground fog.  We spent about 15 minutes talking about fog.

Imagine our absolute shock a few hours later, when we learned that the fog that we had been discussing and debating played an active part in the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others aboard his helicopter.  While we thought we were just commenting on the weather, the lives of others were ending because of it.  

Every day I remind myself that every day is a gift.  The events of yesterday illustrate that more than any words I could come up with to underscore that truth.

Every day is a gift.

Live your best life.

A Bit o'Stitching

Our Sew Eclectic "challenge" for 2020 is to "make a bit of art every day."  We can do whatever we like to fit that broad definition.  My "bit" is a teeny tiny bit.  I am making some progress on my roses, but they're not done yet.  And they won't be done today, either.

A huge storm just blew in.  I thought they were joking, but the sky is black and the rain is pouring and the wind is blowing the dead wood out of the trees.  whoosh!!

I don't want to get started on anything when it feels like the power is going to go out at any time.

Which makes me think that blogging isn't such a great idea right now either.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that stitching is happening here, bit by little bit.

Happy Quilting!!

P.S.  Don't forget to enter Best of the Valley Quilt Show.  Entry forms are available for download here.  Be sure to download both the entry form and the guidelines.   We look forward to seeing your entries!

It's Our Blogiversary!

Yes, indeed.  Twelve years ago today, I began this little blog.  I began in earnest, looking forward to each post.  Over the years, I've gotten so busy that, well, the blog has fallen a bit by the wayside.  So much for my resolution to "blog more."  I'd hoped for once a week, but here we are, creeping up on the end of week #2.  I guess this counts?  I hope to do better.  Goals are good, doncha know?

I don't know what is going on, but Blogger is not allowing me to load photos.  weird.  Earlier this morning, Bible Gateway wouldn't let me search for Bible verses.  Is it them?  Or me?  So strange.  oh wait.  Now it's working.

P received her pillow.  She found it to be a bit on the wild side, but she likes it.  yay!

 Yesterday I began working on a challenge for our Art Group.  We assigned the challenge a year ago February.  The assignment was to make a small flower quilt with green in the background.  Yesterday, I pieced together my background, then went to work on my applique pattern.

 Here it is, with the petals all cut from a piece of Kristin's hand-dye.  I am excited to see how this will come together.  Did I or did I not successfully place the freezer paper to show each petal to perfection?  hahaha!  I'd best get stitching if I want to know the answer to that question!

Happy New Year, Happy Quilting!  I'm hopeful that this year will be a productive one.  Goals are good!

A Belated Happy New Year!!

oh, my goodness!  I can't blog and stitch at the same time.  And I have definitely been stitching.  I think I told you I set the goal of making 8 stockings.  I began the first week of November, and finished a couple of days before Christmas.  It was more of an undertaking than I realized, until I hit December 15.  Then I knew I was in trouble.  But, perseverance, and all that!  (I made 2 of them a few years ago.)

 They provided the perfect backdrop for pictures with the grands.  (The older ones were a bit squirmy.)

We had a wonderful Christmas, full of making good memories.  I think the boys and their families are all coming back next year, so I'm thinking they had fun, too.

I spent the week working on a gift for my older granddaughter, who was not able to join us for Christmas.  I just finished it, and shipped it off.  I am hopeful that it will arrive on Epiphany, which is a fitting day to receive a gift.

I have really been enjoying playing at crazy quilting.  I am hopeful that there will be more of it in my future.  Goals are good!

And with that, I'll confess that one of my goals is to blog more this year.  It should not be hard to beat last year's activity, since the blog was in the lower echelons of my priorities.  Hopefully I'll be able to fix that.

Happy New Year!!  Here's to setting goals that we can actually have the potential of achieving!!