Hazy Daze (Monroe, WA)

I have seen a couple of people refer to this as the 'Wildfire Season' and I now understand why.  It's not just the burn-ban or the threat of a wildfire, it is the smoke-filled air mixed with very high temperatures during the day.  

Blaine, WA

Our second visit to Blaine started out with fabulous weather, but during our last week, we started experiencing hazy days with smoke from Canada's wildfires.  We moved south to Monroe, WA on Tuesday only to find the smoke thicker here.  I haven't seen the local news lately, so I am not aware of wildfires nearby.  I would not be surprised to learn there are a few burning in Washington and in Oregon.  I can only hope that our brave firefighters stay safe and are able to get the wildfires under control soon.

In the meantime, I feel like I have gone a couple of rounds in a boxing ring.  It is hard for us to filter out the smoke during the night.  Every morning I wake up feeling like I have been punched in the face with my sinuses bruised and my eyes all puffy.  I feel really bad for those with respiratory problems.

Before the smoke moved in, we spent one afternoon walking through the Blaine Marine Park.  We like to take the walking trail instead of the sidewalk so we can view sea birds on the shores along with a nice view of the Peace Arch Park and White Rock, BC.

There are wild blackberry bushes along the trail with water fountains...

and artwork.

The trail ends at a public pier overlooking views across the bay to Semiahmoo Resort and Pt. Roberts.  

This last picture is looking inland towards Blaine.  What a view!

On The Cutting Board

I can actually say something good came out of me feeling bad.  I have been very focused on finishing a few UFOs.  I finished four quilt tops.  They are pinned, and ready to be quilted!  Below is the new Black Cat quilt that I am making for a customer's request.  She bought the last one I made, but she asked if I could make a larger lap quilt.

I made the top bigger and did not realize that I had made it bigger than the backing fabric I had already chosen for it.  I really did not want to go shopping for more fabric, so I decided to extend the backing with leftover fabric from the quilt.  Now, the customer can display the front or the back of her quilt!

Backing for Black Cat quilt

Below is a photo of the Showered with Love quilt.  Lots of scraps used in this one....and yet the scraps seem to be growing.....taking over my storage bin...I think their master plan is to take over the motorhome......  Okay, back to reality.  This quilt is pinned and ready for quilting.  I will show the other two quilts next time.

Showered with Love

I was so happy to finish four quilts that I took a picture of the four together.  Then, I really started looking at this pile and it suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea where I was going to store my new quilts.  Darn!  I thought I was being smart trying to use up my stash.  Instead, I have created a new problem.  I spent the next couple of hours going through my storage areas.  I have some space open up since I used up the last of my batting,  That helped a little.  

Then I came across two pillow forms and remembered that I had planned to make two more pillows for our dining room benches.  I had forgotten about them since we had the bench seats reupholstered.  Talk about a senior moment!  The quilts were put aside and I went to work on the pillow covers.  I had already finished the two appliquéd centers.  I just needed to add a border and quilt.  I kept the quilting simple and was done within a couple of weeks.

And now...I can finish my four quilts!

Happy Quilting!

Warm Shoulders, Cold Feet (Birch Bay, WA)

We could not have asked for better weather while Shaun was visiting us.  We spent some time walking around Blaine one day.  Look at that beautiful sky!

We had read that Birch Bay had fireworks on the beach, but it wasn't clear where we were suppose to go to view the fireworks.

After talking to the Thousand Trails Rangers, we found out that the city of Birch Bay did not put on the display.  Instead of the city footing the bill, they invited the public to gather at the beach and shoot their own fireworks.  I like the description from one of the Rangers - "It's Insane!"  He also claimed over 40,000 visitors showed up to watch and participate.....and they don't wait until the 4th to start the show.  I'm surprised we were able to get any sleep with all the noise.  Even the cats got use to the loud snap, crackle, and pops throughout the nights.

We decided to walk from our site to the beach since it was only a mile away.  We thought it might be too crowded and chaotic, but it wasn't too bad.

The bay is sort of horseshoe shaped and we ended up somewhere in the middle so we could see fireworks going on both sides of us.  Plenty of beach area for everyone to spread out and enjoy the evening.

The next day was Shaun's birthday.  Instead of taking him out to lunch, we drove to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.  It was turning into quite a hot day so this was a perfect way to beat the heat.  Sunshine to warm the shoulders and snow to keep the feet cool.

We saw two guys ski down a hill in shorts.  I wasn't fast enough to get photos of them...darn.  We did not see people sledding like we saw on our last visit.   I did see one lady taking full advantage of the day by sitting under an umbrella in a folding chair perched high and away from others.  Now, that is one way to relax while enjoying the surrounding beauty.

I wasn't expecting to see so much snow since the weather had been quite warm and the snow melt had the rivers flowing fast and furious.

We did a little climbing to see the views.  I'm quite happy to say that I managed to get up and down without falling once.  :)  Snow would not be good for my camera, I'm sure.

I was hoping for some blooming Heather photos at Heather Meadows Visitor Center, but no such luck.  The view was still spectacular.

We had brought sandwiches from the deli at the Market at Birch Bay.  Shaun found a snow-free, not to mention, dry picnic table to have our lunch.  So quiet... just the wind in the trees..

Who could ask for more?  Fresh mountain air, good company, fabulous views, and a delicious lunch.

On The Cutting Board

One of my friends suggested the next time I was in Lynden, I should visit two quilt shops that I did not know existed.  I had visited another one last year.  I'm quite surprised there are three quilt shops in this small town.

I couldn't pass up the chance to visit both shops.  The first shop is called Folktales.  The shop is in an older house that is so packed with fabric and anything else you can wish for that there is almost no place to move around.  On top of that, it was the first day of Row-by-Row.  Still, I had no problem navigating the narrow aisles filled with other quilters.  

The second shop is call Calico Country.  Located in a strip mall not far from Folktales and it is just as much fun to visit as the other two.  The staff is friendly and helpful.  I wanted to buy something from both shops.  I found some fat-quarters that will make great fillers. (above photo)

In between appliqueing quilt tops, I have been working on some new Happy Camper mug rugs.  The weather has been perfect for sitting outdoors with the cats and getting a little sewing done.

 I finished pinning two quilts today while spending time with the cats outdoors.  Hitch was a big help by jumping onto the table to give my head bumps.  My shop is almost empty so I really need to get into high gear and get all of these new projects done! 

Happy Quilting!

Sorry To Be Leaving Blaine (Silver Creek, WA)

Since my last post, we have moved several times.  I hope to have another post soon of our other stops.  We settled in Silver Creek, WA on Saturday and have not had time to visit the surrounding area...yet.

In the meantime, I wanted to share more photos of the area around Blaine, WA.  We visited Lynden, WA several times.  It is a small town with Dutch influence showing up in the downtown area.

The buildings were quite interesting and this bakery....the best little pies ever!  I had a small blackberry pie that was overflowing with sweet berries.  Usually, the single helping pies have so much crust, I feel like I am playing hide-and-seek with the fruit.  No hunting for the fruit in this little pie!  I had to go back for another one before we left.

Below is a photo of a restaurant and hotel.  Just gorgeous!  And the hanging baskets of flowers were all along the street.  They were hugh!  They were so big that I (the vertically challenged) had to be careful not to walk into one and end up with a face full of flowers.

Love the welcome sign.  I should have got a better photo of that one.

I wish I had taken a photo of the Tangled Threads Quilt Shop.  Of course, the more interesting things to show were inside.  The displays were wonderful.  I ended up buying fabric I did not need, but I could not live without.  Hmm, I might have to make another "The Witch is in" wall hanging.

I found out that I missed another quilt shop called "Folktales".  You know what that means, right?  I'll have to go back!

Blackberries are in season and seem to be everywhere.  In the campgrounds, in the downtown areas, and even in a Blaine's city park which is where we were picking the ones below.  I was having a little bit of cereal with my blackberries every morning.  Yum!

We drove to Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.  So many breath-taking views!  Wouldn't some rocking chairs be perfect for this porch?  I could sit here for hours rocking and watching the clouds float by.  

I can see why they called this area Heather Meadows.  The Heathers were blooming all over the valley in pinks and whites.

If I understood the information ranger, we were not seeing Mt. Baker from Heather Meadows, we were seeing Mt. Shuksan.  I'm not sure this is the right peak in the photo.

We were expecting it to be a little cooler since we were at a higher elevation.  It turned out to be a very warm day.  People were sledding in shorts and t-shirts.  Wandering around the snow with flip-flops.  Definitely a warm day.

One more place we visited before leaving Blaine was Fairhaven's downtown historical district in Bellingham.  Wednesday is Farmer's Market day in Fairhaven's Village Green, so the downtown area was very busy.  It was worth it to find a parking spot and to be able to walk around viewing the old, not to mention, very interesting architect.

We had lunch at the Colophon Cafe which is in the building on the left side in the photo below.  We sat close to this door and were able to watch people come and go.  More good food!  I had a vegetarian Greek salad and Dan had the Mexi Black Bean burger.  Such good flavors.  I have to confess that I have put on quite a few pounds with all the good food we keep finding in this area.

Fantastic murals!  They really blend in with their surroundings.  The first time I walked by the mural above, I only caught the guy standing at the window from the corner of my eye making me think he was really standing there until I turned my head.

It's too bad we were full from our lunch.  Next time, maybe we can stop here for a drink and people watch.

I would not mind living in this building with its outdoor roof garden.  I bet they have a great view of sunsets and the Bellingham Bay nearby.

Speaking of water, we took a short trail through blackberry bushes to the Taylor Dock.  A very unusual dock as it has seats and what looks like parking spots for bikes/strollers as you walk down towards the water.  But wait!  The dock doesn't end there....

..it curves around and ends in another area near a park.  We did not walk the full length.  We were getting very hungry by then and decided to turn back.  I probably should have done the walk to burn a few more calories before eating!  Next time I will know better. 

Okay, I better stop.  This is turning into quite a long post.

On The Cutting Board
Just a quick look before you go of what I have been working on the last few weeks.

I finally finished binding my Asian Sand Crane quilt.  I need to come up with a better title for it.  I got the photos prepped for Etsy, but I have not listed the quilt just yet.

I started hand quilting the True Lover's Knot. 

I'm keeping the quilting simple with in-the-ditch and echoing stitching.

As fast as this stitching is going, I might have this quilt done before the other one gets listed.

Happy Quilting!

RED Cars, WHITE Clouds, & BLUE Sky (Blaine, WA)

How was everyone's 4th of July celebration?  Lots of eating, visiting, and viewing fireworks?

Not a rain cloud in the sky!

Us?  Well, the rain stopped and the sun came out!  Talk about good timing!  We went to Blaine to see the street festival and the classic car show.  We were not expecting it to be so busy!  Wow, where did all of the people come from?   The classic car show was spread out over quite a few blocks so it was easy to view most of the cars.

Classic Car Show

It wasn't so easy to view the vendors.  The area was so packed with people that we gave up on seeing what was good to eat or for sale.

I managed to get a couple of candid shots of people enjoying their day...

Cute!  Eagle kissing? the young lady...

A young patriot

Even the dogs were looking patriotic!

We were too tired to go watch fireworks and I really regret not going down to the bay.  Between the commercial fireworks and home-bought fireworks, it sounded like quite a joyful celebration...that went on until after midnight.  I finally fell asleep around 1 pm surrounded by two scared cats.  Poor guys did not know what to think of all that booming.  Not to worry - they are back to their old selves - begging to go outside, getting into things, and the list goes on....

Me?  I plan to go to bed early again tonight.   yawn!

On the Cutting Board

I finished the last of the sashing on Vi's quilt.  Oh, I can hear your thoughts...what?  She's still working on that quilt?  Yep, shameful.  I know!  I don't know why I am having such a hard time finishing this quilt.  Maybe, part of the reason is the large areas of sashing and borders.  Or maybe, it is all the other distractions that I keep creating for myself.  Oh well, there's no one reason, but I do plan to keep working on the quilt until it is done.

Now, I'm faced with how to mark the floral border.  I have always struggled with this part of quilting - how to transfer a pattern to a top for quilting.  Since I am quilting by hand in a hoop, I cannot use chalk.  I usually use fabric marking pens, but I need to mark as I quilt so there is no marking ahead of time.

I decided to use a simple design for the floral border since it is already very busy and my poor eyes will get quite a workout.  An easy basket weave came to mind and I drew it out on paper.  I thought of using painter's blue tape, but that means constantly measuring and re-adjusting the tape.  I saw this Mesh Transfer sheet by Clover and decided to give it a try.

To transfer the pattern from paper to the mesh sheet, I used a permanent marker.  I was hoping to use an easy-eraser marker, but the marks were smearing when I tried to mark the quilt.

I only marked a small area of this mesh with hopes of using it again for a different quilt.  Although, I might stick to simple designs and stitching in the ditch with echoing as a filler from now on!

Anyway, I positioned the mesh onto the border without removing the quilt from my hoop.  I was a little worried about the ink making it through the tiny mesh to the fabric and being able to see the markings as well.

After several tries with different fabric markers, I found this blue one worked the best because of its softer tip.  Since the markings are a little messy, I have been going over them again using just a ruler and the pen.  It is double the work, but at least I don't have to measure each time I need to mark a new section.

Anyone have any suggestions?  I would love to hear them because this has always been a dilemma for me!

Happy Quilting!