Pickled Beets

My husband and I love pickled beets. Living in Alaska for so long meant buying them in a can at the grocery story. They really don't taste like the home canned ones. Last week my Mom and I purchased 50 pounds of beets for $20. What a deal. Earlier this week we canned 57 pints of beets. She had a great recipe that doesn't require a water bath so that saved time. It was quite a process but we had a system down and they're beautiful besides tasting good.

My husband Ron and I spent a wonderful weekend in Central Oregon near Bend celebrating our 41st anniversary. It was a fun get away. During out stay, besides our great anniversary dinner, we had breakfast with some Ketchikan friends, Diane and Allyn Haynes who live in Sunriver. We also had lunch with Ron's aunt and uncle Bob and Norma Harper. It was a fun time being just us and also visiting friends and family.

This weekend is a camping trip with our son Ian, Bethany and 9 month old grandson Oren. We haven't camped in a long time and we will be on the ground in a tent. Hopefully our "older" bodies can take it. The weather forcast is calling for a little rain but it will be a fun adventure.

Today is a sewing day! I have so many projects, it's hard to decide where to start, but it's time to get busy. Happy Quilting!

Blocking a Quilt

When I talked about doing a blog it was recommended to me to write about twice a week. Obviously I have been remiss about doing just that. I can't believe where the time goes. Writing the blog definitely needs to be on a regular to-do list.

The last few weeks have been full of scheduling classes and getting the class requirements and samples to the shops, some driven and some in the mail to Washington and California.

Before I could mail a Rising Sun quilt it desperately needed blocked. It was quite lumpy. I followed directions by the famous machine quilter, Diane Gaudynski. I let the quilt soak in the washing machine in cold water, spun it dry on the delicate cycle; Filled the washer full with luke warm water and a little dissolved quilt soap. It ran through a whole delicate cycle. I carefully lifted it out of the washing machine, supporting the weight so it wouldn't put stress on the wet quilt, then spread it out flat in a prepared area. I'd put a bed sheet and plastic garbage bags down on a carpeted floor out of the way of people and pets. I shaped it using a large square ruler for the corners, made sure any borders were straight and patted it down anywhere it wasn't flat. I closed the door and let it dry. It came out amazingly flat and ready for a wall or show. The two quilts I've done have come out perfect without that "washed" look. I think by drying them flat instead of in the dryer helps to keep them looking new.

Pictured is a miniature pinapple quilt that I machine quilted and blocked. The blocking set the quilting and made it lie perfectly flat.

Today is a busy day of household chores and not much quilting. Boohoo!

Have a great day. Happy Quilting!

A Productive Day

I actually spent part of yesterday sewing in my sewing room. It seems life gets busy and that's the last thing I get to do. I have two quilts ready for the machine quilter and am working on a third. One is a class sample and the other a "belated" wedding gift. I'm envious of those people who have the wedding quilt done by the wedding and the baby quilt ready before the baby is a toddler. Way to go!

Part of yesterday was spent helping two friends pick out fabrics for their first quilts. Fun and exciting helping new quilters. Watch out the quilting bug is alive and well!

Today is a playday. I'm going to the Oregon Garden with two high school friends. The Oregon Garden, near Silverton, Oregon, is a beautiful outdoor garden with paths to enjoy all the flowers. The weather has cooled and it should be a fun day.

Wishing you a wonderful day full of the things you enjoy!

Trying to stay cool!

Boy the weather has been hot. I think it's hit 100 over the last few days. I so appreciate my air conditioned house. Fortunately Oregon doesn't get that often. I feel for those people in the southeast part of the United States who are so hot and not just for a few days.

I finished the pillow to be donated to the Give a Little Foundation for their auction. Doing the stitching is fun. It's hard to say "whoa" when you're on a roll and can add just a few more colonial knots here or lazy daisy stitches there. It's fun, creative, relaxing and I love the way they turn out. I'd love to make a whole quilt someday.

I spent a few days last week in the Seattle area visiting my son and family. Love the grandson time. Nathan is 11 and Aidan 9. They are fun to hang out with and listen to. They're at a busy age. Nathan broke his arm being hit by a pitch earlier in the summer so that gained a little time with him  not playing baseball and taking golf lessons.

Yesterday was a reunion in McMinnville, Oregon of people who used to live in Ketchikan, Alaska. It was a first attempt so there were 13 of us. Fun time visiting there then 9 came to our house for hamburgers. It's fun talking about old times, people we knew and  how much we loved Alaska. A part of our life we so treasure.

The best to you all. Enjoy what's left of the summer and stay cool!

Crazy Quilting

I've been working on a crazy quilt pillow. It's a donation for the Give a Little Foundation which is a non-profit organization that assists residents of Yamhill County in Oregon, who find themselves in a financial crisis. I've done a few crazy quilt projects and forget how much I enjoy it. I find it very creative and it's hard to stop adding stitches. The title of the fundraiser is Amazing Lace. The organizers are displaying a lace collection from 1600-1900.That will be fun to see.

We had a busy weekend with a Gelbrich family BBQ on Saturday with 25 attending and a PEO BBQ on Sunday with 21 attending. They just happened to fall on the same weekend and it didn't work to change either one. I took a nap on Monday!

I entered a quilt in the local county fair. It didn't even win a ribbon. I got notification yesterday that my quilt was accepted in the AQS Des Moines show. I felt better about not winning a fair ribbon.

My Mom isn't doing well. Seems to be running a fever with some sort of infection. She went through a lot of tests yesterday so hopefully they'll find the cause and get her on the mend.

Hope you're all doing well. Happy Quilting..Peggy

Oh my! Where has time gone.

I can't believe how time slips away. I'm sorry I've been so absent. Summers are a slower teaching time, so time to get other things done. I've rearranged cupboards. We moved into our new home a year ago and after shoving things into place I'm amazed at how much space I've found by being more organized. There are always things that aren't really needed so that meant several trips to the 2nd hand store to donate. Not in my sewing room of course. Anything I find that I don't need there goes to my Aunt Willie who lives just up the road and is also a quilter.

I've been working on a class sample that I'll be teaching at the Ocean Waves Quilt Camp in October. The camp is very fun. It's held at the Friends Church Camp in Rockaway, Oregon. Attendance is around 100 students who have many classes to choose from or just sewing in study hall. Classes are offered by six teachers so there's something for everyone. The camp is put on by Jane's Fabric Patch in Tillamook, Oregon.

Oh...here is the center of my class sample, Pinwheels Left and Right. It has some different tricks and techniques and fun and easy to make. Once it is sewn together it will also have a pieced border. This is my second sample which I like much better than the first. Some quilt ideas take more fiddling than others.

I've also had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with my new grandson, Oren. He was 7 months old yesterday. Here is a picture of Oren and my son Ian. Ian and his wife Bethany are both architechs. Ian designed our beautiful home and gave us a beautiful grandson.

It's a beautiful morning and it's time to walk the dogs. Our year-old springer, Reggie, gets very antsy if he doesn't use up some of  his excess energy. It's good for me too. A morning walk in the woods is good for the soul. Happy Quilting!

Home from Quilt Colorado

Colordo is a beautiful place. The quilt conference was very well organized and successful. I met great quilters from Colorado as well as a few from other states, including New York.  The classes were held in Estes Park, the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park. I was fortunate to be driven into the park one evening where I experienced amazing scenery and wildlife. Pictured below is a Montana Cartwheel class. Great students! With all the quilters, sewing machines and irons the classroom became very warm, but we all survived.

I'm home for a few weeks. Time to get some new class quilts completed and do some yard work. It's been very cool and cloudy here in Oregon. The weather has finally turned warm so I think summer may be on the way.

Happy Quilting to you all!