Tucson quilt shops

I've been MIA because I'm totally frazzled over the endless loan details for the house I'm buying in Tucson, but this morning I'm taking a breather to think about quilts and color!

There are four quilt shops in Tucson, and I went to all of them on my trip. This first one, Cactus Quilts, is only 3.4 miles (seven minutes) from my soon-to-be new home in Oro Valley!!!! The couple who run it are super friendly. Here they are: Nancy Landon (the owner) and her husband, Dave.

Nancy designs beautiful quilts, like these ones below, and teaches. Her husband teaches hand quilting, paper piecing and more. It's a busy, cheerful shop.

The Welcome quilt lists memorable sites in Tucson, and the cowboy boot quilt is  called "Puss and Boots." They love cats, and you will see cat items tucked all around the store.

Nancy teaches a class on these cute little saguaro coasters, and I think I'll sign up for it after I move to get to know some other local quilters. I won't know a soul when I move there, except for my real estate agent.

Another major plus is that they carry a large selection of hand-dyed wool for my wool appliqué.

Next up is the Quilt Basket, another really nice store.

Just inside was this eye-catching display, which enticed me to buy a selection of that fabric for placemats, napkins and a table runner.

Taking a break outside one of the shops.

These next two were also fabulous. What I want you to focus on are the BLUE SKIES!!!

I bought this pattern ...

 ... and I love, love, love this cactus fabric.

Now it's back to the mortgage business. Blah.

 Have a colorful day

I'm moving to Tucson!!!!!!!

I went to Tucson to scope things out

last week and found

my new home!

I made an offer on a house that said "home" from the moment I opened the front door. We're aiming for a March 30 closing and I'll move at the end of April! I'm excited, nervous, euphoric and scared. But it's affordable (and staying in Gig Harbor is not) and I'll have the sunshine that I crave. And I've always felt the pull of the desert, even as a little girl growing up in Pittsburgh.

My new backyard, with mountain views.

I will soon be a ...

Tucson is known for its majestic giant saguaro cactuses. The oldest of these glorious beings have been around for hundreds of years, and it boggles my mind to think of everything they have seen. They are only found in the Sonora Desert of southern Arizona and part of northern Mexico, with a few strays showing up across the border in California.

I spent a day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum taking in the beauty of the desert. To me it is lush, although some of you may roll your eyes at that.

Even the quilt shops (and there are four in Tucson -- more on them later) have saguaro neighbors.

This next one is on a tea towel in the gift shop of the Tucson Botanical Gardens ...

... and this one is on the mural in a Mexican restaurant. I spent a LOT of time in Mexican restaurants.

Yes, I'm a happy camper. Look at those short sleeves and flowers in February! More on the trip in future posts. I just got home last night and now I have to catch up on laundry and try to calm down. 

Have a colorful day

Feet & Forks and sunshine!

And the sunshine continues! The Feet & Forks celebrated the sun with a walk in the harbor, marveling at the rare February sun.

Pink winter blooming camellias made it look like spring under the blue skies.

At the entrance to Gig Harbor, our little lighthouse glowed in the sun.

This couple enjoyed a lazy gondola ride, complete with a serenade from the oarsman. The gondola showed up a few years ago and was an immediate hit.

I always enjoy looking at the names that people choose for their boats. Cool Runnings has a line underneath saying "Peace be the Journey."

We asked the guy on Virus out of Olympia why that name. He said, "Because it's catching!"

We stopped in the office of Harbor WildWatch, a great organization that educates the public and school kids about the wonders of marine life in our harbor. I used to volunteer for them. Besides giving beach tours and talks, HWW has some neat hands-on activities and exhibits for rainy days in its downtown office. 

We also stopped in a boating store where Joyce found this book, "Cleats & Eats Boater's Restaurant Guide," written by one of her friends, Lorena Landon. Joyce said her friend, an avid boater, wrote the book after realizing there was a need for a guide for boaters on where to find good food when they pulled into an unfamiliar town.

And speaking of food -- you knew this was coming -- we rewarded ourselves with Mexican food at El Pueblito's, a popular and colorful harbor restaurant.

Have a colorful day

Woolies distraction

Our Woolies meeting last week was a good distraction from worrying about trying to find a house. Nothing like friends and color to boost the spirits! 

Here is Pam, who started the group, with some gorgeous turquoise wool that she dyed circled with cheerful wool birds.

Audrey made these cute felt hearts for everyone. I hung mine in my sewing room. She also made this really colorful big bag -- we quilters can never have enough bags!

Nancy made a sewing case with her signature polka dot fabric. Even the scissors sleeve (by her hand) is polka dots.

Donna was embroidering the border of her fabulous houses for all seasons wool piece, which she designed herself. The details are incredible.

I worked on my Fresh Cut wall hanging, which has been my go-to hand project for over a year. 

I'm working more and more on the machine because of the arthritis pain in my thumb, and here is my latest machine project -- spring placemats with a pink and green print that I bought a few years ago in Arizona.

Have a colorful day

Housing story

This is where I live. This is why I'm thinking of moving to Tucson instead of buying here (I'm renting now). This is why this comic is so apropos.

Snoqualmie Falls

A few days ago, Dawn and I drove an hour and a half to see what western Washington's record rainfall has done to Snoqualmie Falls. We sat for awhile in traffic that was backed up by an accident on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This is the bridge that links Gig Harbor to Tacoma.

The 270-foot waterfall was booming, with great clouds of mist rising hundreds of feet to envelope us at the upper viewpoint.

The falls are central to the culture and spirituality of the Snoqualmie People. According to Wikipedia, the falls are "the place where First Woman and First Man were created by Moon the Transformer" and "where prayers were carried up to the Creator by great mists that rise from the powerful flow." The mists are said to connect Heaven and Earth.

Twisting lichen- and moss-covered branches along the trail were otherworldly.

We hiked to the bottom of the falls, and when we hiked back up the sun had broken through and illuminated the water. It was beautiful.

Afterward, we toasted the day with wine and iced tea and then had breakfast food for lunch at the Salish Lodge.

Have a colorful day