Woolies -- WOW!

This is one of those weeks when all of my monthly sewing groups happen to meet in the same week, starting with Woolies on Monday. I'll blog about the rest later.

The first WOW factor at Woolies was Mary's gorgeous blue and white appliquéd, hand-quilted masterpiece. It was exquisite in every way.

She also finished this wool table mat, but with a twist. She mounted it on a colorful cotton print instead of leaving it as a scalloped mat.

Another WOW came when Pam laid out the pieces for this luscious quilt with wool appliquéd squares set in cotton print triangles. She's almost done with the borders. Can't wait to see how she quilts it.

Here are some closeups so you can see the embroidery and beading.

I'm still working on my Fresh Cut blocks, slowly but surely. These ones still need more embellishment.

Somehow, I forgot to take pictures of the food. Bobbi brought a flat of a dozen donuts that were as colorful as our quilts, Judy baked lemon scones, and Linda make cute little caprese stacks skewered with toothpicks. It was all yummy.

What started as an overcast day turned sunny and beautiful while we stitched and chatted. Pam's windows showcase the sky and the harbor and provide the perfect backdrop for our meetings.

Have a colorful day

Some quotes on a rainy day

I gave this to my daughter and she regifted it to me.

As you have probably surmised if you've been following my blog this year, I've been focusing on staying strong and positive after my husband of 36 years left me (for an old college girlfriend). I haven't mentioned it much lately, but rainy days like today can get me down and I need to refocus.

My friends and family have been "walking me home." I love this quote by Ram Dass. It's a comforting way of looking at life.

My friend Beth sent me a deck of the Wildwood Tarot cards, and the Swan has become my "stalker card," meaning it keeps showing up, usually multiple times every day. I'm new to tarot, but according to the accompanying book the Swan card indicates: "A state of separation may exist, bringing with it sorrow ... You may need to break old bonds and find new rivers in which to swim if you are to move beyond this place of darkness and loss." Well, that's appropriate. I'm working on it!

For the most part I've been staying positive the last few months. Every time I start to feel down, I refocus on the positivity of friends, family, COLOR and my art. Blogging is especially enjoyable and therapeutic because it pulls together my love of writing, editing, photography and art.

Yesterday my STITCH group painted and stamped aprons, which I'll blog about later. Carol brought a stamp with a quote by Picasso that really speaks to me:

"Art washes away from the soul 

the dust of everyday life."

 Have a colorful day

Feet and Forks go on a beach walk

Joyce with her waders.

Last week we had super low tides around Gig Harbor, so the Feet and Forks explored Joyce's beach while the tide was out and the intertidal life was revealed.

There were no bathing suits or suntan lotion on this beach, and we needed shoes to protect our feet from barnacles, crabs and rocks. But there was plenty to look at.

The grey thing that looks like part of a toilet plunger is an egg case from a moon snail. Thousands of eggs are mixed in with sand and will be dispersed into the water as the case breaks up.

The thing that looks like an elephant trunk is the famed geoduck -- pronounced "gooey duck." Ooey gooey. These are a type of bivalve and are considered delicacies, more so than garden variety clams and mussels. A party down the beach was digging these and had a bucketful.

This seagull was lucky and caught several fish as I watched. Those little things poking out of the sand are tube worms. 

Joyce said the kelp is more plentiful this year. It dwarfs our feet!

And, of course, we had lunch afterward outside on Joyce's deck. I made a fresh peach and raspberry pie from local fruit, and we also had sandwich rollups, an Italian pasta salad and an asparagus/tomato/avocado salad. I came home and napped for two hours!

Have a colorful day

Spokane: Julia, bunnies and the Quilting Bee

I made the six-hour drive to Spokane last Friday to visit my daughter and the bunnies. I saw some spectacular skies on the east side of the Cascades once I got into high desert country. I love big skies, which are something I don't see enough of here because of all the tall trees. I also made the usual stop at the Cle Elum Bakery for a raspberry jelly donut.

Here's the story behind this wicker chest that I delivered to Julia. It was made to order about 30 years ago for a friend whose family was stationed with the Air Force in the Philippines. She had it made to hold her bed linens and towels, but she didn't want to take it with her when they left Kansas so she gave it to me. I love wicker, and for decades it held (some of) my fabric. As Julia grew up, she also began to love wicker and lusted after this cabinet. 

Since I'll be downsizing in the next year now that I'm a family of one, I passed it on to her. A family heirloom! She has a big collection of wicker that she sells in her etsy shop, Desertspring Vintage, but she won't be selling the chest.

Once I made it into her house, the first order of business was to hold little Bunners. She'll be 13 years old in December and is so frail and tired now.

Dilly and Charlie are bonded and rarely leave each other. They're both very gentle with Bunners.

Look at the cool rock that her friend found in Spokane and gave to me! It's from Tacoma, so it made it all the way across the state and back again.

I also went to a quilting store in the Spokane Valley, the Quilting Bee, which has one of the friendliest staffs I've ever encountered. They welcomed me immediately, asked if I wanted a tour (yes please), offered me coffee (no thanks) and generally were super nice. 

They even had a man cave called "The Bunkhouse" complete with lounge chairs, a big TV, manly magazines and posters, a fridge and pretzels. 

It was a short visit, and the last night we walked out in front of her house to watch the sunset turn the clouds over the ravine pink and lavender. The Sunday drive home stretched to almost seven hours because of weekend traffic returning back to the Seattle area. The Cle Elum Bakery was totally out of donuts (!) so I had to buy a flat of cinnamon rolls. I did it.

 Have a colorful day

Color from Manito Park in Spokane

Yoga Bunny stopped to smell the roses over the weekend in Spokane's beautiful Manito Park.

We were visiting the kid, and the park has become one of our standard places to go, along with the Thai restaurant. So here, without further ado, are some more pictures from Manito.

Blissed out in the Japanese Garden.

Have a colorful day

Stitch happy

   Embroidery sample in a quilt store

So, even though I spent three hours today at the car dealer while they made some repairs, I was still happy because I brought along my wool appliqué stitching and got quite a bit done. Plus, the waiting area had big, sunny windows; it was quiet; and there was free iced tea, coffee, lemonade and cookies.

Everything I needed fit in my little sewing roll that I made last year. There are places for scissors, needles, pins and thread.

The colors always lift my spirits.

Then, since I already had spent an arm and a leg on the repairs, I figured what was another $17 at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Blue Agave, on the way home. I sat inside and looked out because I was dressed too warmly for being in the sun.

Have a colorful day