3rd post today?

DH has been studying about web site design so I asked him to make a quick button for me. Feel free to 'grab' it if you want a sweet golden retriever face on your blog page. I even got brave and put my own photo for my profile though I'm not sure that is going to last. Marianne says I should put hers there.

time not spent sewing (or what I did on my birthday vacation :-)

The Monterey Pine forest here is not well rooted. With a usually scant rainfall and not the best soil, the roots tend to go sideways and shallow rather than down and deep. So sadly they sometimes fall. One storm a few years ago brought down over 100 trees and left much of the town without power for 2-4 days. The storms this season again brought down some trees right onto people's houses. Our neighbors have enjoyed a healthy pine but were finding the foundation of their home invaded by the roots and were getting increasingly nervous about the possibility of having it fall on their house. They made the tough decision to have it removed. I seem to get attached to trees around here and document them before they go. I am more closely attached to this one however :-) as it is now spread all over our property!

Work in action with the crane and chainsaws.

The tree work is done.

The wood was chipped and delivered to our driveway. The picture doesn't seem to show it but I swear this mound was the size of an RV.

With a little help, I shoveled and wheelbarrowed these chips for 4 days. We shared with neighbors but the pile only seemed to get bigger! I got it down to the size of VW bug and was relieved to have the help of a man with a backhoe :-) Up the hill on the other side of the fence, we needed a stump removed from a tree that fell in one of the storms. He pulled it out and then made several trips to scoop up the rest of the chips and unload them on the upper section. What a relief not to have to wheelbarrow up that hill!

Now we have continued weed control and our driveway back :-)

There is that weed control 'paper' under most of the chip area. I may decide to grow something someday but in the meantime, I'm happy with my rocks and wood chips!

Well, I do have a few flowers.

quilt show purchases

I forgot to share the photo of some of the fun stuff from the show. I was trying hard not to succumb to too many temptations and to try Not to bring home new projects to start....There sure were some cool ideas out there though. What I did bring home was a quilt hanging system to try that uses very strong magnets, some fabric and a few gifts.

There are packages of note cards that have novelty fabric fussy cut and framed. There is batting behind the fabric of the animals and the lobsters (left bottom corner). The lobsters remind me of Maine so I will keep those to use for gift tags. The cows and the cats have destinations. I may try making some of those cards myself with the dog fabric.

There is one kit in there...not very well shown...that is for a quilt for my nephew or niece. Alphabet animal fabric that was too cute to pass up. It will be sewn and given to them during this summer's visit...I promise :-)

Then there is just the beautiful colors in fabric that were priced too well to pass.

The only thing I miss is the Kaffe Fassett bundle from Quilter's Cupboard that I wish I had purchased. Talked myself out of it cuz I couldn't rationalize it with the thought of who use it for (since I already have one)...thought of someone yesterday :-) Fortunately,QC is only about 30 miles away and I can still get it. Yea!

quilt show report

Seven Sisters Quilt show was this weekend in San Luis Obispo, California. Seven local guilds come together and put on this show in the spring at the Madonna Inn. I was able to go yesterday and found it kind of hard to leave. The quilts were lovely and the vendors were too! My selection for photos is quite biased. The first is called Fractured Cats. The novelty cat fabric was pretty fun. It made for a bright cheerful quilt.

The next photos were of a lovely quilt that was an interesting way to combine alot of floral fabrics.

And then, of course, plaids. Just because they are plaids :-)

This quilt had beautiful lime green and purple.

And a great idea here where the quilter used up extra batik strips.

My friend,Darlene's awesome applique and design work. I think she wrote that she was 'using up' fabric too!

This one was lovely colors and kind of looked like a Courthouse Steps which is one of my block favorites. I didn't get a picture of the back..but it had hearts on it. The quilter quilted from the back following the heart fabric which made for a lovely quilting pattern on the front.

This one was just bright and interesting.

And here come the animals. I just like these bears.

And of course, most of all....the giraffes. This was a wonderful pictorial. This guy had alot of expression in his face.

and another giraffe quilt with extravagant applique added.

A definite highlight to the day was to happen upon a fellow blogger! I follow Melanie's blog, Crazy About Quilts, and recognized her from her picture. She was there with 2 friends and it was quite a fun moment to move from written word and pictures to real people. As I have never moved passed having a quilt for my identifying photo with this blog, she would never have known who I was unless I walked around holding it up all day :-) So I overcame my dislike of every photo of myself,shyness pride and suggested we have our picture taken together for the record. It was worth it :-) Melanie has a definite brightness in her smile and spirit. As true in person and in her pictures.

Nancy Brown Class

I stumbled on a planned class for a local guild a couple of weeks ago and was blessed that they still had an opening. Nancy Brown had the quilt, "Oh, my", showing at PQIF in 2004 and I think it became my most favorite all time quilt. Pictorial quilts have not been my favorites always but her quilts are a definite cut above! She is teaching at Empty Spools quilt retreat at the end of June this year. I'm very tempted to try to go. She's an excellent and fun instructor.

Yesterday's class was wonderful. We learned her applique technique and had instruction in foundation piecing a background as well as making a pattern from photographs of our own animals or wild animals. Most of the day was spent appliqueing (is that how you spell that?) the pattern she gave us of a giraffe. I'm slow so I only got 5 spots sewn onto her neck.

I'll show more pictures of her quilt pictures in another post. It was a very fun day. Almond Country Quilt Guild knows how to host a wonderful class!

walking with the dogs...

When I was a young one, I apparently had the habit of adding to the dinner table conversation often starting with "when I was walking with Paula..." Paula was my neighborhood friend and I guess we found some interesting (to me) stories to share. I don't remember this 'habit' but my older sister does :-)

But now I do hear myself often saying "when I was walking with the dogs..." And it happened just like that about 2 weeks ago! I was walking the dogs around the neighborhood and noticed someone's license plate bracket that read "Dogs for Diabetics". I live in a neighborhood that has homes for rent on a weekly basis to allow visitors to enjoy the central coast. The next day some of these visitors were out in front of the house loading up this mentioned car and I had to ask about the dogs for diabetics. Well, these ladies were quite friendly and loved on my dogs till Wendy came out to tell me more about the D for D's. She fosters the dogs while they head on their way for more training. Very cool service!

As they were getting ready to go somewhere, I had the feeling I knew where. I was right. These ladies are quilters and they were headed to my favorite LQS, Quilter's Cupboard in Atascadero. This brought more to talk about and I ended up with a lovely invitation to join them for dinner and a show n tell the next evening. It was great fun and yet, I forgot my camera :-(

Fortunately, Sharon didn't :-) So head on over to her blog and read the posts about these very fun women and their yearly visit to my neighborhood! Quiltgranny's Shoes

catching up

Here's Marianne and Elinor holding down the cowboy dog quilt before the binding went on.

Here are photos of it completed. It's raining here today so these are indoor shots. I was trying to show the quilt pattern but you can't hardly see it even when you are looking right at the quilt. Oh well, I liked the idea of it. I used the Stetsons & Boots pantograph which was fun even if it's hidden :-)

Dawn awarded me the Beautiful Blogger Award last week. Which I must say felt kind of fun :-) My blogging is at a fairly slow pace with the intent of participating so that I'm not just an invisible lurker gleaning all the inspiration from quilters adding so much to the quilting world. And trying to add something that hopefully inspires someone else. The award comes with some tasks to keep the fun of it passing. To mention the blog award and who gave it to you with a link to their blog. To share 7 interesting things about myself. Hmmm. And to nominate 7 other blogger sites that I enjoy.

Interesting things about myself....probably only in the eye of the beholder but here goes. I've been a nurse for 32 years, mostly in the ICU.

I work in the ER now but still feel like ICU is a better fit for me.

I am looking forward to retirement in 7 yrs and 46 weeks :-)

Animals of most any kind stir my heart. Life without dogs and cats would be too hard to live.

I live on the beautiful Central Coast of California and sometimes pretend I'm really in Maine. yea, explain that one!

Anne Tylers' Ladder of Years is one of my most favorite books as the main character sort of inadvertantly 'runs' away and starts a new life. The idea is always in the back of my mind. Except no one traveling with 3 dogs and 2 cats inadvertantly goes anywhere :-)

I love to sing worship music really loud when I'm alone driving my car.

Now for blogs I love to read...A Simple Girl, Eclectic Quilter,Magnolia Bay Quilts,Quilt Hollow, Lazy Gal Quilting,JulieK Quilts, and Crazy About Quilts.

There are actually many more so please consider yourself all awarded by me as wonderful blogging friends. Feel free to pass on this award to others that inspire you or just enjoy the recognition. It is always good to blog without obligation...even if I can't figure out how to get that little BWO sign with the crow on it to show up on my blog page...

quick post to announce the winner

I am home from a busy day in the ER where I seemed to have to admit all my patients. This is not the usual. We like to send people home and happier. Not happening with me today though. Anywho...I'm headed back there early in the morning so I am making a quick announcement here for the Happy first Anniversary giveaway. Thank you so much for all the fun and sweet comments. It has been a fun and fast adventure.
So Mr Luckypup was eager to help pull the names out of the hat and I am happy to announce that Marj from Eclectic Quilter is the winner of the pattern and fabric. This turns out to be a very cool way (at least for me, anyway) to celebrate her kitty, Bandit, coming home from the hospital with improved health. I haven't met Bandit personally, of course, but I know he is a big help in the quilt room :-) So Congratulations to Marj and Wahoo! Bandit, I'm so glad you are home again and doing better!
More later...when the days are opened up for stitching.