Traveling

We are on a trip along the Oregon Coast. I have been knitting up a storm. I knit while DH drives.

Yesterday we stopped at a quilt shop in Newport OR and I was inspired. I went home (to the MH) and dug out the fabrics, planned and cut the next section of the rainbow quilt. It is awesome, that I sorted and cut, that I am continuing to work on it.

I am not sure I am going to like this when I get it done, and I won't know until I sew the thing together. Oh well. That is a worry and sometimes a stopper. But I have decided: DO IT ANYWAY. If I really don't like it, then I can decide then what to do. But try it. That is my message to myself.

I have so many ideas for quilts. The shop was really inspiring. She said they specialize in landscape fabrics. They had so many picture quilts, pieced, appliqued, and even pictures printed onto fabric, then quilted. I got the idea that I could take some of my photos, print them on fabric, paint the important parts (in case the original ink runs or fades) applique other important parts over the print fabric, and create quilt blocks as individual as my camera's eye. Mine, in every way. Can't wait to try it.

They had dozens of lighthouse patterns, material, and other landscape ideas. One was a picture of cute water animals. There are sea lions here, dozens and dozens of them, but I think the water animals weren't really sea lions. The flippers and such were sea-liony, but the heads were more like an otter or perhaps a seal, even a baby polar bear. I'm not really up on my mammals of the sea, but these weren't quite right (to my taste).

There was a quilt pattern, or rather ten to twelve patterns, of local attractions, so one could make a quilt with favorite vistas. That was really awe-inspiring, except that I keep wanting to do my own thing, such as the quilt I have planned of Maritime Canada. The idea of choosing 10-12 pictures, printing them onto 8.5 by 11 muslin, and creating a quilt that way is so exciting. I am ready to choose pictures RIGHT NOW.

I want to make a lighthouse quilt for Julie. The Newport quilt shop had lots of ideas, and I was so inspired.

Keep on keeping on.

Live, learn, love, laugh, leave a legacy.

Suzie

Keeping Going

At the start of October, I had every intention of working heavily on the quilts for the grandkids. But then I took the boys camping for a weekend, and then I got sick or something, anyway didn't feel well for a few days. So much that I missed out on going to the boys last week. And I haven't been working on the quilts AT ALL. Until yesterday.

I kind of feel like I am balancing on top of a large ball, perhaps 10 feet in diameter. As long as I stay centered on the ball top, I am fine. However, once I fall off, it seems impossible to get back on. Imagine trying to climb up on a ten foot high ball. Impossible.

So yesterday, I finally got busy and got sewing again. I have gotten all the colored stripes sewed together, which was my goal for the first week. I know, this has been three weeks. However,....

Next step, pick out "sky", "ground", and "pot of gold" fabric to complete quilt top. And cut apart strips, to resew into rainbow shape. That shouldn't be so difficult. Goal timeline: Get fabrics picked out by Sunday, take with Monday, and complete cut apart-resew by the following Monday.

I can do this.