Waiting in Texas (Gordonville, TX)

Since my last post, we have traveled a lot of miles.  2117 miles since 8 October. We rarely travel that many miles in a short time.  Surprisingly, our cats did not complain about the long hours on the road.  They did want to explore each new stop though.  Sometimes that just wasn't an option with the overnight location.  Ever try to explain to a cat that it isn't a good idea to go outside...yea, doesn't work.

We spent a couple of nights in Williams, AZ.  A great little town within walking distance of the Grand Canyon RV Park.  We were a little worried about being so close to the train tracks.  It would not be the first time a train has woke us in the middle of the night, but to be this close really had us thinking we were in for a couple of sleepless nights.  Turned out we worried for nothing.  The trains were unusually quiet...quiet engine...only one short horn blast at the crossings...even the wheels on the tracks seemed quieter if that is possible.  Anyway, we had no problems sleeping.

We hope to return sometime in the future so we can explore more of the area and ride the train to the Grand Canyon.

 During our two day stay, we walked the streets a couple of times.  I enjoyed the old signs the most and took more photos of them than of the buildings.

 Next time, I plan to check out this gift shop.  Looks very interesting...

I did go into this shop....Of Course!  I could not pass it by with the door sitting open just begging me to come on in.  The Quilts On Route 66 was small, but fun to wander around and talk to other quilters.  

 

We stayed one night in Homolovi State Park near Winslow, AZ.  We stayed here a couple of times when we first started traveling in our old motorhome.  Great views of fantastic sunsets!

Desert Moon

I really miss the southwest landscape, so I was quite happy when we went straight into Albuquerque, NM (ABQ) from Homolovi SP.

I'm sorry to say that I did not take a single photo during our week stay in ABQ.  I spent a lot of time shopping, getting a green chile fix from Golden Pride (more than once), visiting with friends, and seeing our old haunts.  We even drove by our old house which was a big mistake since it is up for sale and falling apart.  Such a shame.

 We are settled in Gordonville, TX while waiting for our new motorhome to become available.  We have a couple of more weeks to go.

We could not ask for a better spot to relax and wait.  This is our view from the side yard.  Nice, eh?

On The Cutting Board

All summer long, my shop was very quiet.  I think I had two sales.  So quiet that I did not think to close my shop during our trip.  I just thought it would stay quiet.  It did not.....

Lots of Happy Campers!

On the very first travel day, I received an order.  I messaged back that it may take me a few days to mail since I wasn't sure how our schedule would go or where to drop off packages.  I am very thankful that she was very understanding.

New Apple and Owl Mug Rugs (coasters)

That order was the first of many during our travels south!  It was like the first customer broke open the dam and the flood of orders started!  I was excited and stressed trying to fill the orders on time.  I really did not want to close my shop since this was the most active it had been since leaving Florida.

New Southwest Vintage Trailer

With the long hours on the road, I did a lot of sewing.  All of the photos above and below are new listings.  Some have already sold.

Tea Towel, Ornament and Quilt

My fingers are crossed that my shop will see more activity through the holiday season.  During my quiet time, I had started working on some UFOs - 3 quilts and more mug rugs.  I need to get them done and listed.  Well, I better get back to the cutting board!

Happy Quilting!

Heritage Homestead (Whitney, TX)

For my birthday this year, Dan took me to Cafe Homestead located on Heritage Homestead's 510 acres  near Waco.  The cafe offers fresh organic limited menu.  My falafel pita with sweet potato fries was delicious especially the sweet potatoes.  So much flavor that I barely used my ketchup.  The best part was the quiet atmosphere.  No loud talking customers or music to talk over.  After lunch, we walked around the grounds visiting the different craft buildings.

Cafe Homestead

Heritage Homestead is a religious community living a simplistic lifestyle using basic hand tools to work and live off the land.  No machinery is used.  The farmland is plowed by horses.  Sheep are hand sheared.  Wool is hand carded.  Everything is handmade...metal work, woodwork...

Wood shop ~ love the door!

...weaving, spinning, sewing, pottery, soap, and so much more.  Oh, and the quilts!  Wow!  Such beautiful workmanship.  Two of the quilts were made by a 15 year old.  Points were right on with small even hand-stitched quilting.  I can hear my quilt hoop calling to me.  I need to blow the dust off of it and start hand quilting again.  

You can see some of their fine craft products on this link.  They even have classes for anyone interested in learning the traditional ways.  I would love to take a pottery class or a spinning class and a weaving class.  They also hold a fair twice a year to show visitors how they till the earth and make their crafts.

pottery wheel

Did I mention that they also do community barn raising?   They also save old barns by restoring them to their original beauty.  We talked to one woman about how the building we were standing in used to be in New Jersey.  Below is a restored barn appropriately called The Barn filled with all kinds of wonderful handmade items.  You can see some of their fine crafts here.   You can see little bit of the inside of the barn if you go to Gift Barn and click on more photos.  Oh, and check out the quilt hanging from the second floor.  That was just one of many handmade quilts.  

Here's a close-up of the barn doors, but it doesn't look like they open them any more.  We went through the small door to the left.

Old barn doors

I would love to have this one for a home with the water wheel.  This is the Grist Mill.  The pancake and muffin mixes were very temping to buy.

Restored old barn - Grist Mill

The other side of the grist mill

The people are not Amish or Mennonites, but they do dress simple.  Women in mid-length calf dresses/skirts.  Their hair is worn in a bun.  Men wear buttoned shirts.  No t-shirts.  I noticed that the young people look healthy and not a single one had a skin problem that I often see on most teens.  Not a single older person shuffled or labored to get across the room.  Something we see all too often when we are grocery shopping.  

pathway between buildings

I'm sure their lifestyle is a lot of hard labor, but at the same time, this lifestyle has a better quality of health than most modern lifestyles.  They do have computers as you can tell from their websites, and of course, all utilities.  They believe in strong family values, so I'm sure there is no computer games at night for kids or TV for that matter.  They also have their own school.  All the children live and learn on within the community.  It must be quite a culture shock for a child to leave home and see our busy techno, not to mention, noisy world.

On The Cutting Board
My shop is open for business and I already sold four mug rugs.  Two were the red and aqua Happy Campers, so I am already starting some more in the same popular colors.  I finished and listed the Bunnies in The Garden quilt last night.

And I finished the morning glories on the ladder. 

 I'm hoping this will be popular too because I really enjoy making this SW design.

I am finally caught up with my blog, so back to sewing!

Happy Quilting!

Under the Clumps of Mistletoe (Bridgeport, TX)

We are happy to be in Texas with some warmer weather.  There were a couple of cold nights and freeze warnings, but nothing like we had in Oklahoma.  The cats are enjoying their new surroundings.  Plenty of space to roam and explore.  

Hitch and I like the tree across the street from our site.  Somehow, we end up standing under it every time.  Both of us staring up at its big limbs until Hitch decides to climb it.  Well, he tries to climb it.  He gets to the middle of the trunk, stop, reevaluates, and drops to the ground.  I do believe this tree has become a challenge for him and he is hoping to make it to one of the limbs before we leave.  Yea, I don't that will be happening since his leash is not that long.

The campground is located next to a lake.  We can see that the drought has hit hard here since the lake must be a good 30 feet below the dock and boat ramp.  We did have rain the night before and all day yesterday.  It just needs to do that a little at a time for the next six months to replenish the water.  Too bad there is no way to redirect the NE snow towards Texas.

I did not realize how much I missed the old gnarly Mesquite and cactus landscape until we got to Texas.  Going for walks around the campground, I would find myself looking for mistletoe clumps in the trees.  The tree looks a little funny with it completely bare except for the strange clumps of green hanging from its limbs.  

Did you know that mistletoe is considered a parasite to softwood trees?  The seed burrows into the wood and gets it nourishment from the tree.

I did not know that until I read that little trivial fact from a cozy murder mystery by Susan Wittig Albert called Mistletoe Man.  China Bayles is a lawyer turned Herbalist with the kind of store I would love to visit.  In this book, China is collecting mistletoe for holiday decorations. I haven't read one of Susan's books in a long time.

I learned quite a bit about plants and herbs when I was reading her books.  We even visited a herb garden cafe that was suggested in one of her books.  I loved walking around the gardens and sitting under the arbor while we had a snack.  I wish I could remember the name of the place, but it was too long ago.  I was inspired to plant lavender along our front sidewalk so people would have a fragrant walk to our door.  I should see what China is up to these days.

On The Cutting Board
I'm thinking of opening my shop in December.  I'm not sure I should open early since I left a message in my shop saying it would be opening in January.  Should I open early or keep it closed?  I have 30 items so my shop would not look so sparse or I could have more if I wait....arrrgh!

With that thought bouncing around in my head, I started making some of my old mug rugs from Nancy Halvorsen. I'm using brighter and more bolder colors for a change of pace.  I'm also starting some new Happy Campers and a few more Owls as well.

I also started cutting and prepping for some new quilts.  I went through the last of my stash that I had packed away at our daughter's house.

I was very happy to find this Japanese Crane fabric.  I had turned our motorhome upside-down one day looking for this fabric.  I finally thought I had given this fabric away.  Yes!  I still have it!

I can even remember what I wanted to do with the crane fabric, so I did not wait too long to start cutting up some matching batiks and getting the cut fabric into a quilt kit.

Of course, this is not the only fabric I discovered and brought back with me.  What?  Uh...the fabric is calling to me...the rotary is ready....so back to the cutting board I gooooo...

Happy Quilting!

Six More Weeks? (Sutherlin, OR)

I bet some people are not happy hearing that news from Punxsutawney Phil.  I wonder if he ever consults the Farmer's Almanac?  I really feel for those dealing with another snow and ice storm.  Our weather has been looking a lot better.  A little more sunshine less fog and a few degrees higher.  We are seeing more people outside enjoying a little walk or getting a few outdoor chores done.  Time for a change of scenery for us, we are moving back to the coast on Tuesday.

I have been spending most of my winter getting a few projects done and getting in some reading time.  I recently finished this book by Gil McNeil....

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil

A.K.A. “Divas Don’t Knit” (don't make the mistake and buy the same book twice!)

I found these two books in a book warehouse in Seaside, OR last summer.  As soon as I read the description of this story being set in a small village on England’s coast, I was pretty sure I would enjoy reading them.  It sounded so quaint.  I immediately thought of my friend Maggie traveling to a seaside village in her Harvey J, shopping for wool and spending cozy evenings knitting.   Plus, I always enjoy reading about knitting groups as much as I do quilting or crocheting or any other kind of women’s social gathering.  I have often thought of taking up knitting as well.  Just what I need to do - add another hobby to my list.

And I did enjoy the first book despite all the swearing in it which I found rather irrelevant to most of the story.  I really did not understand the need for the f-word unless the writer is trying to attract a younger crowd.  I’m not sure how that works for a book.  It isn't like books get ratings like movies do for language, sex, and violence.  I had to look up quite a few the British slang words and swearing.  I definitely learned quite a bit about British slang while reading the book.

So, if you can forgive and overlook the swearing, the story about Jo - a recently widowed mother of two young boys whose husband had announced just before his car accident that he wanted a divorce.  If that wasn't bad enough for Jo, she finds out they are broke and she has been a stay-at-home mom all this time. 

No job and no house, she decides to move out of London when Gran (grandma) offers Jo full-ownership of the family’s rundown wool and yarn shop.  Jo’s journey to start a new life for herself and her sons while surrounded by quirky yet lovable family and friends is filled with funny and heart-warming moments.

I plan to start reading the next book "Needles and Pearls" soon.

On The Cutting Board

It took me three evenings to finish the basting on my Hawaiian turtles.  I usually find basting boring especially when it is a large quilt and I need to do long stretches of basting from one end to the other.  This was more of a challenge to baste only a quarter of an inch from the edge...around all the edges....actually this made it more interesting and I finished a lot faster than I thought I would.  So, that's done and I did start appliqueing the center, but I had to stop.

I also got the binding sewed onto all the quilts, but I did not get the chance to finish the binding or any of my other projects..

...because I got my first custom order for the year.  It is sort of a rush job, so I had to drop everything....big thump!!  It took a couple of days of emailing to get the order right.  I finally got started on the mug rug yesterday.  The customer would like it for St. Valentine's day.

As soon as I'm done with this order, I'll be back on track with my other projects.  

Happy Quilting!

Living In A Fog (FLorence, OR)

We visited the Heceta Head Lighthouse (Ha-SEE-Ta) a couple of days ago.  The fog bank was sitting low and giving the area an eerie Gothic look with sunshine.  I went nuts with the camera.  I'll try not to overdue the photos.  I get the feeling this place sees more fog than sunshine.

From the parking lot and beach area, we got a great view of one of the original houses.  The house is now a B&B and the head lighthouse keeper's home.  

There were more black birds than seagulls all over the beach area adding to the atmosphere.

It's too bad a second house that probably housed the assistants was dismantled and the lumber sold.  I would liked to have seen the other one.  This one is a wonderful well-maintained Queen Anne-style home.  I just love this porch.  A great place of a cup of tea...and to have

such a gorgeous view!  So peaceful with just the sound of birds and the ocean crashing against the rocks below.  

You can see the lighthouse between the flag pole and the house.  The keepers have a short walk up a hill to the lighthouse.  Not too bad of a walk as long as you are not carrying a heavy load.

The lighthouse was started in 1892 and was first lit on May 30, 1894.  Restoration was done in 2011.  The lighthouse looks almost brand new.  The lighthouse is still active and its beam shines out to sea for 21 miles.  Making it one of the strongest lights on the Oregon coast.

On The Cutting Board

I finished and mailed my latest custom orders.  I hope my customer is happy with them.

I'm back to working on some unfinished projects for November.  I started the one below during the summer.  Now I'm not happy with the shadow coming through the face.  In the above photo of the Cupid/Angel, you can't see the print beneath her face.  Two layers of fabric really makes a difference.  From now on, I'll be doubling the peach fabric!  She is still cute despite the shadow.  I plan to finish her with some oak leaf quilting and a teal border.

This pattern is a smaller version of the one above for embroidery only.  Both are designed by Nancy Halvorsen.   I decided to add coloring to this one with crayons.  I have been following Mamacjt's blog.  She is the one that got me started on thinking outside the box or crayon box.  The regular Crayola crayons work quite well.

The instructions are easy enough.  After the pattern has been transferred to fabric, iron a sheet of waxed paper to the back to stabilize the fabric while coloring.  I did not do that this time because I had already started stitching when I decided it needed more color.   After the coloring is done, pull off the waxed paper.  Heat iron on cotton setting, cover project with muslin, and press until you smell melting wax.  Ta-da!

Next time, I will use some waxed paper.  I want to see if I can get a deeper darker coloring into the fabric.  First, I need to finish these two...so back to the projects...

Happy Quilting!