More Goodies

I did a bit more stitching yesterday, and put together two more little quilted cards.

 I had a lot of fun going through my scrap box, pulling out the shell button and the trim strip from Oceanside Sunset.  The first is a birthday card, the second a "thinking of you" card.

 Last week I finished up my donation quilt for the SAQA online auction.  I didn't think I was finished, until I'd looked at it every day for a week.  I can't think of a thing to add that would make it better.  Anything else would just be too much.

  "Big Fish"

Suzanne Kistler 2016

12"x12"

Soon I will be in the midst of a week of sewing/quilting.  I can hardly wait.  But first things first, and right now it's family.  ooh!  And speaking of which, the youngest got engaged over the weekend, so we've got a wedding in our future.  Life is good.

As Promised...

Fiber!

 I finished my first two quiltlets of the year.  I am SO behind!  But I've begun the game of catch-up.

Two quiltlets in two days?  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  Goals are good!  Or, as a friend suggested this morning, GAG!  (Goals Are Good)  oh my!  :)

Still So Busy!

As I'm wrapping up the quilt show, I still have several days' work ahead of me.  But since we're post-show, I've taken a few days off as well.  Last week, guild met.  One of the quilts from show and tell caught my eye.  I really want to see if I can draft this one, because I can envision it in a way that would be REALLY pleasing.

 This was a 40's quilt top, but with updated fabrics?  It could be really fun!  :)

I need some handwork, as I've got a plane flight coming up in my future.  I don't want to sit idle, especially if we get stuck in the airport yet again.  I need some handwork.  I don't have all that long to get it together.

On Saturday, we headed up to Jamestown, to my husband's family's cattle ranch.  We were trading cars with my daughter - long story - and the branding was just the event during which to do it.  I thought we'd be there for an hour or so, instead we stayed for four hours.  I got about two hours too much sun, but now I look "healthy" rather than "ashen."  :)

 The name of the ranch is K Arrow, and one of the barns is over 100 years old.  My husband just told me that it was a stage coach stop, and has been in operation since it was built for such a purpose.  Apparently the original house on the property functioned as a "hotel" for passengers to rest up while they were changing out the horses.

 It was branding day, and there were around 120 calves waiting for attention.

 Some of them spent a lot of time bawling before hand.  They wanted their mommies.

The time in the branding pen was short and sweet.  It sounds like it's harsh treatment, but the calves truly do not even seem to notice what's been done to them.

 This is the reunion pen, with the mamas and their babies finding each other without much difficulty.

 And here is little PennyPie, who was also there.  Can you tell she's a city girl?  I hear she dressed herself.  Good thing she spent most of the time indoors, and wearing sunscreen.  I wouldn't want her to be a crispy critter like her grandma.

And that's about it for now.  The iris blooms are winding down, and the creeping temperatures are killing the color in the yard.  oh well.  We've had the most glorious Spring within memory, and I took LOTS of pictures. 

Next on tap?  To actually sew something to blog about.  Goals are good!

Take Time

The roses are beautiful this year, too.  Everything in the garden is beautiful.  I'm still buried under quilt show paperwork.  Hopefully, I'll be able to come up for air sometime soon.  Goals are good!  :)

WOW

I hadn't realized I hadn't posted in weeks.  Sorry about that.  I've been busy.  Best of the Valley Quilt Show 2016 has come and gone, and I'm now in the week of wrap up.  It is possible that I will get back to regular posting in the near future.  Goals are good!

Penny and her Mama came to the quilt show.  Here is Penny with Grandpa.  They had a nice visit, albeit a short one.

I entered six quilts, and came away with three ribbons:  2HM and a blue.  Blackeyed Beauty did well, and was happy to preside over the MiniQuilts, Illustrated category.

And now I am home again, catching the last of the blooming iris.  They seem to peak when I'm at the show, but there are enough of them this year, that I'm getting my fill.

 I felt like Georgia O'Keefe, as I zoomed in for a close-up.

Next week, I'm aiming for needle and thread.  Goals are good!  :)

COUNTDOWN

 One week from yesterday, the quilts come in.  One week from today, we will be in the judging room.  One week from tomorrow, we will be hanging quilts.  Well, you get the idea.  The quilt show is looming large, and I hope you all make an effort to come and see.  It will be worth it.

I gaze out the window at the flowers, then go back to my binders and typing.

 My problem is printing.  My old printer decided to refuse to communicate, so I said, "Back atcha," and bought a new one.  It worked for a bit, then didn't.  Then did, then didn't.  Then did, then...well, again, you get the idea.

I have a stack of things that still need to be printed, but I guess they're going to have to wait for my son to swing by after work and fix it all for me once again.  I should have just stayed up typing/printing last night, instead of thinking everything was rosy and going to bed.

In other news, I received a "sorry, not this time" letter from SAQA, regarding my submission, "Hanging by a Thread."  I'm not surprised, as there were 220 entries, and they only took 24.  I'm kind of excited, because I've wanted to go back to it to add more, and more, and more.  And now I will.  I've been given permission.

okay, just thought I'd check in and say, "hey."  As we get closer to April, we get closer to quilt show.  I will be busy.  No doubt about it.

Have a Blessed Easter

Alleluia!  He is risen!

Day Dreaming

I'm sitting here printing out rough drafts of narratives for the quilt show.  My eyes keep drifting out the window, to the gorgeous spring garden.  ooh!  aah!

oops!  Out of paper.  Again.  Gotta run!

Happy Things

I don't think I've ever had so many tulips bloom in a single year. 

 Apparently, tulips make me almost as happy as iris do.

 Even the cat with the attitude makes me happy, sometimes.  ;)

And then there are the iris.  They are beginning their season of beauty.

 They can be apricot, or orange,

 or blue violet

 or pale yellow

or red violet

 or two-toned, it doesn't matter.  They all have me reaching for my camera in an attempt to capture some of their beauty.

And then there are quilt shows.  They make me happy.  And the quilts in the shows make me even happier.  Here is a picture of my favorite quilt from this weekend's SJVQG show in Fresno.

There now.  I hope you are smiling, too!

Around the House

 After years of drought, my yard welcomes the rain.  We haven't planted anything new, and I think we've only watered once since November.  The garden is in celebration mode.  The tulips have never been this lovely.

 The miniature roses have begun to bloom, and the Johnny jump-ups?  Well, they're out of control, which is just how I like them.

 I've never been a fan of azaleas, but they're doing their best to sway me into their camp.

The outside of my house looks fabulous.  The interior?  Looks like I've been playing with a 4 year old for 6 weeks.  She's now home with her parents, and I'm here focusing on the quilt show.  One step at a time.  Yesterday's step?  Pipe washing.

 On Monday, I loaded them into my van.  Ooh, look!  Reminds me of honeycomb!

And with that, I have a quilt show of typing to do.  Best get started...

Back to the Ordinary

 This weekend saw us back in the Bay Area, returning Penny to her parents.  It's been quite the adventure to be on-the-job Gramma for the past 5 1/2 weeks.  I was sad to leave, and she was sad to see us go, but it was time.  Here I am, checking out of the hotel yesterday morning.  Looks like things are back to normal, in that the menfolk left me in charge of their computers.  They went ahead to help set up the party venue, and didn't want to leave their electronics in the car. 

I didn't want to make two trips, so I loaded up.  woohoo.

Before leaving town, we attended Princess P's Birthday Tea Party.  oh. my. goodness.  It was, indeed, the most extraordinary birthday party I've ever attended, perhaps with the exception of Debbie's 60th.  Outstanding.  The kids each decorated their own hat, with hot glue and flowers, then sat for a tea party with real china.  There was dancing, and games, and they painted their own teacups, which they planted with flowers to take home.  It was fabulous.  Here is one of the 169 pictures I took during the 3 hour event.

 All too soon, it was time to hit the road.

For the next month, it will be all quilt show, all the time.  Let's do this!

More Rain, Please

And so it begins...