Laughter Is The Best Medicine

It is what the doctor ordered to chase away the blues...a retreat where you are laughing so much and so hard that your ribs hurt and you need an inhaler. Karen from The Yellow Farmhouse blog said it best...in earlier retreats it was all about productivity...these later ones, more about the time being together.

Tomorrow I will have a nice slide show of the projects in various stages of production. Today, just a peek. Poor quilters on the east side of the country were experiencing horrible weather (hope all is well) while we were having chilly clear skies. The river outside had ducks, a river otter and these beautiful swans. I took the photo from the living room.




Lori and Nancy provided us with an In-depth education on Addie-Turbo knitting needles...




As, for me I wore my head lamp and made a little headway on some of my hand projects. I do hire out as a stash miner and will hunt through your stash for a specific piece you are looking for!




Thursday and Friday Enzo assisted the Fabric Stalkers with quilting tasks since HH was at work. He gave the paw of approval to Irene's baby quilt which is 100% done!




He chose the border for Robin's penguin quilt.




And he helped Irene chose a quilting pattern out of her book.




Yes, the retreat is winding down and we are already discussing...what's next? But there is a contentedness with the time together.

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Quiet River

Within a half an hour of arriving at the Quiet River Retreat Lori and I headed to Sew Many Quilts for shopping, LOL. Lori needed 2 more yards of a fabric...and I mean...NEEDED and, I had decided that I no longer was in love with a kit I had purchased there on a previous trip and returned it for some yardage...yes, Quiet River was off to a great start!

By the time we returned Nancy had this little table topper for display...dang dorothy...we had to get cracking.

Robin was on a penguin hunt and after some Google research found that a group of penguins was called a colony.

But, we liked one suggestion which was a Waddle!

by Thursday evening she had pieced all the blocks and put them together...today a border hunt!

Irene worked back and forth between quilting and reading quilt magazines...dreaming of new projects.  (your sista misses you Jules & so do we)

Me...all day...and, this is all I got done!  But, my well was filled with laughter and support that only girlfriends can provide and I felt like I had a successful day.

I want you to know I am reading all your comments and have loved hearing all about what you include in your "passion" circle.  This weekend I am foregoing answering emails but I LOVE getting them!

Wool Mentor

The thing about quilting is you always have around you some wonderful mentors.  I was lucky enough to have signed up for a Wool BOM at BJ's Quilt Basket with Karlene who was a wonderful and easy going teacher.  I fell passionately in love with Wool...yes, I like quilting, embroidery, cross stitch and applique...but I love wool!  Here are photos of some of her work.

I took this wool project bag class and just love mine!  She will be offering the class at QuiltWorks...so, if you are local and you want to make this fabulous bag...it is a wonderful multi-session class where you will enjoy having a useful yet, beautiful bag.

This project is wonderful with it's variety of techniques!

...and who wouldn't love this one!

will be posting some retreat photos soon...in the mean time...I am relaxing and sewing, lol...ahhhh the good life!

Stitchin' Day

yesterday I headed to Sew Many Quilts to spend some time working on one of my MANY embroidery projects.  Enzo had a spa morning before the group meeting which meant he showed up all handsome and ready for some girlfriend time...he does love his girlfriends! lol

I am somewhat in a frenzy because today begins the Fabric Stalkers Quiet River Retreat...which means a lot of sewing and being together.  I have packed and repacked what I want to work on...but first I am going to my water exercise class...then I plan on staying in my PJ's for days!  But first, a few photos of the stitchery that was shown at group.

This is the project I take to group twice a month.  I only work on it there so figure it may not get done until...I hope...by Halloween.  Once I get the stitchery done then I will be piecing the blocks that go around the outside.

Am I the only one drowning in hand projects?  Or do you also have other addictions besides quilting and Wool???  I need to know what you love to do???  I will be posting some progress photos from retreat onto the Flicker 2013 UFO site...seems like Feb. is off to a slower start in the UFO category...so I'll post progress rather than completed...lol...after all the Woolie Flicker is all about your own rules!

Pioneer Quilts Booty

I do so love Pioneer Quilts!  It is only about 5 miles down the freeway from Holly Hills.  Whereas Holly Hills is predominately a Moda shop, Pioneer Quilts carries a variety of designers and fabrics.  I told myself I wasn't going to buy any more patterns but sheesh...they are so many cute patterns...and I have been getting more done lately due to the Flicker 2013 UFO site!!! Thank you girls!!!  I couldn't  find any Transfer Eze in town but was lucky enough that Pioneer just got a shipment in!  A bag of walnut shells with lavender...yes I am all set!...for a moment.  I have fallen off the spending wagon a "bit" but am back on...with a commitment not to purchase anything else until Spring Market...of course I have a few more packages coming in the mail...but, I swear...nothing after that!!!

you are going to enjoy this slideshow...and...if anything peeks your interest you can contact Pioneer Quilt Shop in Happy Valley, Oregon.  Don't you think it is appropriate that there is a quilt store in a place called Happy Valley!!!  Tomorrow begins the Fabric Stalkers Quiet River Retreat!!!  4 days of blissful sewing...all day in our jammies!  I should be able to knock out a couple of projects at least!!!

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Holly Hills Alert!!!

While up in the Portland area for my dear GS's Dol I stopped at a couple of quilt stores.  Since I was clear on one side of the city I decided to save Fabric Depot for my trip in March (eldest GS's birthday) and instead visit Holly Hills and Pioneer Quilts.  I was NOT just shopping but had specific things I was shopping for...until...I met these ladies!!!  Beware of these 2...they are purchasing for the  shear joy of purchasing...and they WILL transmit a purchasing virus to you if you are in close proximity!

...and you could possibly buy this...

Isn't she cute!!!!  I love her...I love her face...but I didn't think I would buy her until "Pat" handed her to me and said I NEEDED to have her.  I love running into blog reader but sheesh...it's expensive! LOL

As usually Holly Hills was an "eye candy" kind of experience due to the talents of Brian and his mother (the mothership, as he refers to her).  The staff was helpful...but, beware of Woolie readers...it could be an expensive adventure!  If you see anything in the slide show contact Holly Hills they would be glad to help you purchase something! lol  Tomorrow's slide show is of Pioneer Quilts!!!

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The Dol

We headed up to Portland to celebrate our grandson's first birthday...of course that put me into close proximity of a couple of awesome quilt stores, which will be a blog later this week, lol.  First the Dol...not Doll...but Dol, which is Korean tradition of celebrating the first birthday.  Just so happened we were celebrating 2 birthdays, our grandson's first and HH's 60th..which is another BIG birthday in the Korean tradition.  It is steeped in history...to survive until your first birthday  or to live to your 60th was a big reason to celebrate.  The first birthday celebration is called the Dol.  the 1 year old is dressed in traditional Korean garb,  a hanbok and placed in front of several objects...a pencil, money, apple and thread.  What ever the child picks first is a prediction of his life.  And all of the choices are positive, pencil = intelligence, money = richness, apple = never being hungry and thread = long life.

Can you see what our little Wyatt chose!!!  The thread...and although I am sooooo happy that he will have a long life...a part of me screams....QUILTER!!!!!

My DIL is a jewel and she has got 3 boys to deal with...just like I did! lol

oh yeah...when I look in those eyes...I see the future.

nothing like cousins and your big brother to help celebrate, year one!

The quilt was a hit with both Wyatt and big brother...and it got Enzo's seal of quilt approval! lol

...and both birthday boys like their cake!

tomorrow, we get back to quilting.  I had a wonderful time at both Holly Hills and Pioneer Quilts...although I came home with an empty wallet, I had a full heart and I will show you what I purchased and my plans for future projects!

PS. Our dear friend Jerry passed to that Route 66 in heaven...please keep his wife Twilene in your prayers.

Hooked Again

So today I am heading to Fabric Depot because I need some fabric for a new project that I have GOT to make!

I am in love with this quilt by Candace of Squash House Quilts  I don't have to make it...I NEED to make it!  My plan is to use some fabric out of my stash but to pick up a few pieces at Fabric Depot!

Just so you know I am still moving forward with my other projects and have been doing some hand applique on a UFO and also working on the embroidery for the Kathy Schmitz monthly little quilts.  Look at how far I have gotten on my rabbit!

Are you as happy as I am that we are quilters!!!

First Friday Gallery Event at QuiltWorks

The First Friday Gallery Event for February featured the quilt creations of Lori DeJarnatt as the featured quilters and The Woolie's as the group exhibit.  It was a spectacular exhibit...if I do say so myself, lol.

Lori DeJarnatt and Marilyn, QuiltWorks owner

The Woolie's that were able to attend.

Claudine, Sandy, Susan, Anne, Anna and Sue

a nice turn out for the show which will hang all month in the Gallery...so come by when you get a chance to check it out in person.

Everyone is having a great time, good food, good drinks and fantastic quilts!

Sandy and Anne checking out the crowd below!

The show really was awesome!  Lori's quilts were amazing with a Civil War/reproduction theme. I loved them all and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite...all though the hand appliqued pomegranate quilt was really talking to me!  It was really nice to actually meet Lori since we had talked by blog! lol  

The Woolie's which meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at QuiltWorks is an amazing group of women with a common passion.  As you will see on the slide show we love everything wool! lol  I hope you enjoy the show!

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BRUCHGEFAHR=Fracture Risk!

Have I got a story for you!  I had a small stack of certified mail certificates...we get them regularly from the sub-contractors letting us know that they can put the heebie jeebies on us if we don't pay for the work being done on the construction.  I took the small pile of cards to the Post Office and was surprised when the post mistress brought this box out!!!  What the hey???

Well...Lord willing and the creek don't rise I thought I would never see this package!!!  You see, while I was in France last fall attending the L'Europa Quilt Show I visited a shop in a small village in Germany at Lake Titesee and bought a cuckoo clock for HH.  This was back in September, mind you...and the clock expert (yes, he wore a white lab coat) told me to expect it at the end of November...give or take a couple of weeks.  Because, it would be coming by ship and then plane.   By the beginning of January I thought the clock was history since it probably had to sit awhile in the flood waters of Hurricane Sandy!  Not one to dwell to long on the down side of life I chalked it up to the "oh well gods."

Life works in interesting ways...because here the clock is, 2 months overdue...but, arriving just in time for HH's birthday on Saturday.

I got another UFO done!!!  Rockin' and Rollin' on the Flicker site!!!  I bought this quilt kit over 5 years ago and then made the top about 3 years ago for someone special...not knowing who that was.  Last week I thought it would be perfect for my little grandson Wyatt.  Nice and bright!  We are celebrating his first birthday on Saturday!

Isn't it FUN!

There is going to be a great slide show coming up!  Tonight the First Friday Gallery Event at QuiltWorks has the Woolies as the featured group!!!  See ya soon!