We're Home!

And we have been since Tuesday evening. It was a great vacation - one that will forever be memorable.

Because...

We bought a vacation home!

Our days of renting Air BnB's are over! We now have a place we can go to whenever we decide we want to get away. We found this double wide mobile home in the same resort that my cousins live in, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the find. It's near Floral City.

Buying was definitely NOT on the agenda, but we'd discussed it for some future time. Well, this property came available and the price was too good to pass up. We had the deed in hand in a week's time. Total serendipity! She was ready to sell; we were situated to buy. BOOM! Done deal.

We will be going back in 2-3 weeks when the seller has moved. We will be cleaning and sprucing it up; moving things around; decorating; you know - all the fun stuff! I will definitely have before/after pics coming.

With that bit of surprising news out of the way, let's talk quilts. I could NOT focus on diamonds when Sharon was here to sew on Thursday. It just seemed far too daunting. (It really isn't; my brain was the issue!) Click here to see the diamond quilt I worked on while in Florida.

Instead, I just reached for a batch of HSTs that have resided on the back of my sewing table for far too many months. Sew 'em together! Who knows what they will become!

That pile of HSTs made these 6 blocks. I didn't really try to "place" anything in order; in other words: no thinking! I like how this looks, yet I really don't "envision" anything in particular.

If I used just 4 blocks, I could very easily see a pillow front taking shape. Hmmm... That would leave me with leftover blocks, though. Maybe I should dig into the Kaffe Fassett tubs to make more HSTs. If I had 9 blocks or 12 blocks, I could easily have a nice table topper or wall hanging.

How did I find myself with all these HSTs? This quilt from last year, Ocean Ripple. March 2022! Gosh, I can't believe it was that far back. I remember when I was making Ocean Ripple, I didn't really know how many HSTs would be required for the rows that would form the outer border. So, (in true Jayne fashion) I just started making them; I know I was thinking, "Ah, just make a bunch. If I make too many, I will use them somehow." 

Here's a post from last March when I was finishing Ocean Ripple. My goal was to make several Kaffe Fassett quilts; this was one of them.

That's all for today, Peeps! Now that we are home, perhaps I can get back into the habit of more regular blog posts. I have really gotten lazy about it lately. 

Oh! One more thing! The first thing we did once we got back - a visit to see Cate, our dear granddaughter.

Getting ready for bed; almost 4 months!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Floral Diamonds Progress Report

Since finishing that baby quilt a whole two weeks ago, I have been stitching diamonds together. Between running around doing vacation things, finding time to sew has been a very low priority, I regret to admit. However, I knew this would be the case, and I am not terribly distressed by this reality. We came to have fun and DO a lot of stuff, so any sewing I get to do would be gravy on top.

 I want all my fabrics and colors to be scattered pleasingly across the quilt, so I am laying the rows out on the bed and stitching row-by-row.

This method requires that I keep everything in the correct order, and in a makeshift sewing space, that proves somewhat challenging. I am doing okay so far, I think. I do find that I am adding more diamonds onto the ends of these rows, so I hope I am not shocked by odd globs of dark diamonds in an area. So far, so good.

I took several pictures of these rows laid out on the bed so as to be able to reference them should I lose my correct placement. I admit that I've had to consult these photos more than a few times.

I have begun stitching the rows, and this is making me very happy! I love how this is looking! I sure hope I can figure out how to square it up later. Not having my pattern with me has me all discombobulated when "envisioning" sides and top/bottom. Those 60-degree angles make "square" sorta' complicated in my head.

Some vacation highlight pictures will show you what we find ourselves doing most days. We have the most perfect walking trail nearby, and we've walked quite regularly, usually in 2- or 3-mile outings.

The first picture looks as if it could be our walking trail back in Ohio, but the second photo from a different spot on the trail assures us that we are indeed in Florida. With so many lakes and ponds in the area, I couldn't begin to accurately name them all.

Vacation continues and sporadic sewing continues, as well. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Easy Baby Quilt

Vacation sewing has been going great. Never having done it before, I believe I planned very well by preparing projects at home for simple, straightforward sewing while away. One project is entirely finished and I am enjoying the more involved project without the pressure of another quilt waiting to be worked on.

The Baby Henry quilt is in the flimsy stage now, and it is just as sweet as can be. 

The blocks in this quilt are all from 10" layer cake squares. From each square I cut the following:

•  one 5-inch square 
• two rectangles,  5 inches x 2.5 inches
• two rectangles, 9 inches x 2.5 inches

Basically, the construction involves simply framing the square with the rectangles. Each square finishes at 8.5 inches. This was the easiest, most basic piecing I think I have ever done, and the result is an amply-sized quilt for newborn Henry.

Some people might not care for so much salmon-peach-terra cotta colors for a boy quilt, but I tried interspersing all the other colors evenly so as to minimize any 'girly' look it might have. I used the entire layer cake, and this line had these colors. To read more about the details of the layer cake, click back here.

This photo shows the entire layout, and how simple it looks. Perfect for a baby quilt. I will get this quilted when I get back home and then delivered to baby Henry asap.

Vacation continues to be enjoyable, sunny and fun. We have become shuffleboard players and have gotten back into the habit of daily walking. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sewing In Florida

I've never taken my sewing machine on vacation before. Since we have rented this house for most of a month, I figured it'll be just like home, so I am treating it as such. We spent five days on the road, taking a slow route south, traveling scenic byways, visiting historic sites, and entering states I'd not previously visited.

We arrived here at our rental, moved in and the next morning while hubby slept in, I arranged a space for sewing.

This table is in the screened back porch. The table needed just a short shove across the room to access an electrical outlet; I was ship-shape in no time. I only have a hedge to look at straight ahead, but over to the right is the backyard, and beyond that is the Withlacoochee River. We have access to a canoe, two kayaks, and a paddle boat, but more interesting to me is the business across the road - air boat rides on the river, and nearby Tsala Apopka Lake and Henderson Lake. 

But I digress! The sewing station is set up and ready for action, and as the first day was largely a settle in and get organized sort of day and I am definitely ready to stitch.

This view is from the other end of the table. The size is great for laying out blocks, or in this case, long rows of diamonds. *smile*

My baby quilt parts are nearby, too, and I will work on them first. My plan is to attach all the short rectangles to the center squares. Then I will switch gears and stitch a few of those diamonds.

These diamonds will be placed in total random fashion, and I will lay as much out here on the table as possible. I will need to consult the book to see how many need to be in the longest row. I'm a long way from that point for now, though.

Our vacation is off to a great start. The weather has been cool so far, but I see that the extended forecast includes some 80-degree days!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Anna Maria Island

Did you know I was away last week? That is the reason for such limiting posting. I prepped two posts before I left and scheduled them. 

While I was gone, my laptop went in for a check-up. I'd been experiencing some problems with it, and of course a part needed to be ordered, and I am still waiting to get it back. In the meantime, I am using DH's laptop. 

A photo dump of beach pictures seems in order, but I won't overdo it.

Our flight out of Columbus Rickenbacker Airport was early Sunday morning, just as a thunderstorm was rolling in. Darned if we didn't have to sit for over an hour on the plane as lightning delayed a timely take-off.

Our destination was a condo on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Such a beautiful place, but exceedingly HOT in July! We really cooked! Thank goodness for those gulf breezes.

At the far end of the condo's gathering room, a wall-sized picture window looked out into Tampa Bay. The shot above (only half of the window!) is an early morning view; at night, we could see the beautifully lit Tampa Bay Bridge, knowns as The Sunshine Skyway Bridge. 

 Most of our days consisted of loading this wagon with beach chairs, a cooler, and an umbrella, and then hauling it all to the beach. The white, silky-smooth sand reflected the sun so brightly, and the water aided in that reflecting - it was almost blindingly bright. Some days, we had occasional clouds; some were cloudless. On the last day, towards evening, we had a rather large thunderstorm, which helped cool temps quite a bit.

When we weren't at the water, we were planning where to go for dinner each evening. We tried a different local establishment every night and didn't have a single disappointment. All meals were tasty, unique, and recommendation worthy. 

Our fanciest dining experience was to the Sandbar Restaurant. Our table was open-air with a canopy covering. All of us had delicious entrees. These gals are neighbors (of sorts; it's farm country here) and we get together regularly to play cards. Sally (standing), Rhonda, me, Mindy, and Dorothy.

While I was away, my niece Abby delivered an early surprise - Boone Allen Baker was born Wednesday, July 20. Mom and baby are doing fine; DH and I went to visit in person yesterday. Such a tiny human! He weighed 7lbs, 13.5oz at birth.

It was a fun week, and now I am ready to get back to sewing! I have a quilt loaded on the long arm machine, and a red and white DIC (double Irish chain) as my current WIP (work in progress). 

I'm glad to be home.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

We're Home!

What a vacation! So many amazing sights. If anyone doubts America's beauty, they simply need to drive - off the interstates! - 6000 miles to have a look around. Our travels took us through 13 states and 6 National Park sites, 5 of which were new to us. My phone's camera roll reached capacity at one point, and I backed off my rampant photo-snapping late in the trip; my memories will have to suffice.

 

 

While we have driven out west twice before, the country is so expansive it would take dozens of trips to see all the sights. I am awestruck by the incredible beauty of snow-topped mountains, vast forests, sparkling rivers and frequent glimpses of waterfalls, wide open prairies, grazing buffalo, elk, and antelope, and the most amazingly blue skies you can imagine. 

We  had hoped  to see more of the west - especially all the National Parks in Utah, but the Pacific Northwest took so much of our time, we decided Utah will wait. A future trip will include Utah's many landmarks. We were not interested in rushing through places; we tried to linger and enjoy the beauty.

 

We arrived back here at home late afternoon yesterday, and before the day was done, I had sewing room time! I sure missed by sewing room! And yesterday was National Sewing Machine Day, so it was necessary to sew in honor of such a day.

 

Is it ever NOT the time to make 9-patch blocks? I think not. These are made chain-piecing style with 2-inch strips. 

My goal is to make a happy, cheerful quilt for DD Erin, our expectant momma! Won't this be a happy quilt for a new mother? Can't go wrong with Kaffe!

So far, 25 are done, and many, many more to come. I need to check my book and the instructions to see how big this will finish and and how many 9-patches are needed.

I will get all those necessary details for a future post; you know you'll be seeing more on this quilt before it is finished.

Hope you are having a great week! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sights We've Seen So Far

Our car trip through the western US has been amazing. And we still have more to come. Here are a few highlights of the past few days. It never fails but that I imagine the impressions these great  spaces presented to the earliest settlers and pioneers making their way west.

This little shell of a covered wagon captured my fancy, as it is so very small compared to the image I had in my mind of these wagons. To think of a family loading all their worldly goods along with their entire family onto such a wagon is unimaginable. I have profound admiration for all the pioneer women who endeavored to make the westward journey.

Not only were the families leaving the familiarity of homes back east, they encountered some very foreign landscapes as they entered the high plains, the deserts, and the mountains. This surely would have demoralized me to think of eking out a living in conditions such as this. They simply had to forge ahead and trust that better, more fertile lands were yet to come.

And, then when they did see something different from the arid great plains, they faced a most imposing mountain range in the Rockies. This view of Mt. Rainier surely was as daunting as it was beautiful to them. In the comfort of our safe and secure automobile, I was awestruck by its domineering size. We were able to go up only so far; for those familiar with Rainier, we were stopped at the Paradise point. I'd really hoped to go on a bit because we'd read that there's a pretty waterfall nearby.

The reason we could go no further was because of snow cover. Crews were working to remove snow, and from the looks of what covered the ground at Paradise, there's still lots to remove. 

Lower down Mt. Rainier, the forest is so thick that it puts me in mind of a primeval wilderness. Moss literally drips from branches and tree trunks. Enormous ferns grow everywhere. Fallen logs and branches lay haphazardly across all surfaces. It is otherworldly.

We have stopped along the way a few times to take pictures of wildlife (yes, we are those people). Since we are off the interstate highways most of the time, we aren't holding up traffic, and we are safe about stopping. The three elk (can you see three?) in this picture were in a group of about 10 just grazing as naturally as could be near a campground. They are darker brown/black than the deer we know in Ohio, and much larger.

It hadn't occurred to us that we would get to enjoy spring again, yet here in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana the spring flowers abound. Rhododendrons, dogwoods, lilacs, azaleas, and a myriad of wildflowers along the roadsides are just as lush and gorgeous as can be. These rhododendrons bordered the parking lot of a restaurant we stopped at for lunch - I believe we were in Oregon.

In northwestern Oregon, in the town of Astoria, we finally saw the Pacific Ocean. I dipped my toes in (c-c-cold) and the experience was a thrill for this little ol' farm gal from Ohio. You can see that we had the beach to ourselves; the day was quite breezy; much too cold for anyone to be swimming or sunbathing. 

And look at that sky! Just as bright blue as can be! We really lucked out. For the most part, we have had good weather. We had a few showery days over the weekend in southern Oregon, but mostly we have had very agreeable weather.

So have I done any stitching? Remember, I brought only one project with me.

The answer is YES! Not a lot, but in the evenings when we are in our hotel for the night, I put an audio book in my ear, and applique berries onto my Lake Effect panels. I get one or two done in an evening. Sometimes the lighting is poor; sometimes I am just too tired to do more; sometimes I do none! But a few are finished, and that is progress.

Some berries have been basted.

Some berries have been stitched; some are wonky.

Some berries have been traced.

 Yes, a bit of progress is a good thing.

Happy Quilting, Friends!