Month: July 2007

Seeing Stars

stars.JPG
This is one of the six pieces I will have in this year’s quilt show. It was from a class at an Empty Spools seminar with Alex Anderson several years ago. This has been my year to finish UFO (unfinished objects). Again, it was a learning experience…and I do want to learn something new every day. I hope local viewers will find time to come to our show. The talent of the ladies who belong to this group constantly amazes me. You won’t be disappointed.

The thumbnails are of two other quilts that will be in the show. The first quilt, Pink Lemonade, is a variation on a strip-pieced quilt. There is a companion quilt, which is the positive/negative of this one. The black and red pictures are the back and front of a quilt I called Japanese Two Step. It was in the quilt show last year and will be in the country store this year. Wednesday we turn in items for the country show…Thursday the quilts are turned in bright and early and the step up and hanging begins. It takes a lot of people to make a quilt show happen. Tomorrow I will return to the preparations for the Lavender Festival.
pinklemonade.JPGblackred2.JPGblackred.JPG

Flower Baskets

flower baskets.JPG
Each year agricultural students at Sequim High School design and make these wonderful baskets. Some hang from the street lights…others like this one sit on the ground. A quality flower basket is not cheap to produce. Local businesses help sponsor this project. This one was sponsored by Hurricane Coffee Company. Wooden barrels of lavender will go out this week.

4 more days until the Lavender Festival and the Quilt Show

I am home after a week of sewing, classes, finishing UFO’s, quilt shows, shopping, etc. etc…and I am inspired. Since 1991, with one exception, I have traveled to Sisters, Oregon for the Quilters Affair and Quilt Show. I am never disapointed. Today I have included three thumbnails of projects I worked on while there. The first is the quilt pattern “Square Dance”, by Martha Thompson. The fabrics had been cut out for a long time…once I finally got it pieced, I discovered the yellow was too bright for the other fabrics…so it turned in to a perfect quilt to practice machine quilting. After the show, I will block and bind it.
The second thumbnail is one of the reasons I love digital photography. If you are unsure of block or value placement in a quilt, simply take a digital picture and you can instantly see where you need to make a switch. Can you tell where the value placement is incorrect in this wall hanging?
The third thumnail is a pattern I tested for Beach Garden Quilts a couple of years ago. At the time I was having a devil of a time with my points. It was put away and it was only last week that I finally got it all put together. The pattern is called Eagle Harbor Summer. I love the secondary patterns it creates. None of these quilts will be in this year’s show…tomorrow I will show you ones that will be.
squaredance sequim wa.JPGfloral sequim wa.JPGbg sequim wa.JPG

Did I Happen to Mention…?

potlav.JPG

This is the week! Lavender is sprouting up all over. The lavender is in bloom, lavender decorations are everywhere, and merchants are sprucing up their displays. Last Thursday there was an orientation for the Lavender Festival Volunteers. An event like this one doesn’t happen without a lot of involvement from the town folk. I might add, locals often visit the farms the week before or the week after the festival to avoid the crowds. (30,000 plus last year in a town of 5,000)

5 more days until the Lavender Festival and the Quilt Show

Pots…Pots..Must be "Over The Fence"

potspots seqim wa.JPG
Walking though the parking lot, I spotted these wonderful pots…sure enough, they are resting behind Over the Fence waiting for the new additon to be ready for occupancy. The owners bought the old saloon on Washington and are expanding their store. I can’t wait. Previous post of Over the Fence can be seen here and here.

7 more days until the Lavender Festival and the Quilt Show

The Blue Whole

blue whole.JPG

If you are a pilot in the Sequim area, you have heard of the “Blue Hole”. The way it was explained to me, you can be flying along with heavy cloud cover below and suddenly the clouds will open up. Sure enough, if you look down you will find Sequim. Sequim is reported to have 300 days of sun each year. I explained to someone that this does not mean the sun shines all the time on those days…but it does shine for a little while.

Now that I have degressed…a local art co operative decided to use a play on words for their galleries name. It has lovely art. Some days I take an “artist’s date” and just browse though and feed my soul. The night of our field trip it was jammed packed with people. A happening place! Previous posts of the Blue Whole can be seen here and here.

8 more days until the Lavender Festival and the Quilt Show

Sequim Art Center and Museum

mas.JPG
A favorite stop for almost everyone was The Sequim Art Center and Museum where the bones of a mastadon discovered in this area is a big draw. Although I am not sure why, the tusks are preserved in a tank of liquid. I hadn’t been in the museum since they had remodeled. It was a very nice surprise. I really like how they have opened it up. If you are local and haven’t been in lately, it is a treat.

9 more days until the Lavender Festival and the Quilt Show!