I was surprised this Christmas with a much needed new Bernina Sewing Chair.  With 6 different ways to adjust this chair – it is the most comfortable one I’ve ever used for sewing.

The color – red – was a little startling in my sewing area however.  It just didn’t go with the flowered machine cover that I’ve had for quite a while.  I didn’t want to spend a lot of time making a cover – just wanted something that looked nice.  So I went to the internet, found easy instructions at http://chezlarsson.typepad.com/myblog/2008/10/sewing-machine-cover-how-to.html.  And put together the cover in no time.

How easy was that!  Now I’m color coordinated again!

It’s really hard to believe – but I am just about ready for the Christmas  (presents all wrapped and under the tree.  This year everyone gets a homemade gift!) The only things left to do are a ‘lick and a promise’ house cleaning and baking a dessert for tomorrow evening.  Our Christmas is celebrated in three different celebrations.

Tom and I will open our gifts on Christmas Eve after an early Mass and dinner out.  Christmas Day is spent at my in-laws.  On Thursday my son and daughter and all the grandchildren will gather at our house.  Cramming everything into one day just was too much stress.  So we decided to celebrate on the three different days.

Since I had some extra time, I decided to treat myself and work on projects that had no deadline.  What better than one or two of the UFO’s that seem to multiply in my storeroom.  I started with a  machine applique from Quilt Sampler.   The pattern is from the local featured quilt shop, Calico Gals.  Some of the applique was done. Now it is closer to being finished.

I normally have a machine and hand project going at the same time.

What started as a bummer of a day – actually turned out fairly well.

We just returned from a trip to VA on a scouting venture for one of Tom’s photo workshops in the Shenandoah National Park. Friday we were supposed to tour the facility at Big Meadows Lodge on Skyline Drive and drive to some of the places that might be used during the workshop.  Unfortunately the all-day rain Thursday froze on Skyline Drive overnight and it was closed all day. It seems that they just wait for a natural thaw to happen.   No salting of the roads like we do in Central New York.

So now what to do with the day???

We spent the morning driving through some of the surrounding area for potential photo sites. When the road was still closed at noon and not likely to open up until the next morning we decided to stop at the in-town visitors center for some suggestions on how to spend the afternoon.

One of the suggestions was a quilt museum, that just happened to be across the street from the Visitor’s Center. Don’t know how she might have thought that would be of interest to me. Guess I just must have the ‘look’ of a quilter about me – or maybe it was the thread snippets that seem to cling to every bit of clothing that I have. (I’ve been sewing the binding for one of the quilts that I’m making for Christmas presents while riding around in the car).

After a lunch at Clementine’s Cafe I went off to the quilt museum (many the area buildings have been not only restored but completely transformed from their original purpose.)  The building, which originally housed the Strand Theater, has been transformed into an eclectic mixture of modern art, live music (in the evening) and as we experienced – good food.   Tom headed further downtown to look at more of the historic buildings.  And on the way found a co-op art gallery. (I think we must be magnets for the things that interest each of us.)

The quilt museum was definitely worth the stop. The building which was built in 1855, is the former home of FTH Warren, a lawyer who died in the Civil War.  It also served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the war, and was later the home of George Sipe, an attorney and House of Delegates member.   Currently it houses many Civil War quilts and has a special exhibit by the members of the Country School Quilters. This guild is one of 7 chapters of the Richmond Quilters Guild.

Museum exhibit curator, Estelle Porter, says that the “quilts encompass many styles and techniques such as Baltimore Album, whole cloth, and surface-embellishment with beads, found objects, crystals, Angelina fibers, ribbons, painting, dyeing, thread painting, photo transfers, and couched thread scraps.  Some quilts are entirely hand made. Many are machine quilted.  Some quilts use traditional patterns, while others are completely original.  Several quilts have won prizes and/or been exhibited in national competitions and several quilters have been published in national magazines.”

Unfortunately photography was not allowed in the museum, but some of the quilts can be viewed on the website of the Virginia Quilt Museum.

A perfect end to the day after all!

Well here we are in Bar Harbor and planning on going to Cape Cod tomorrow. Starnge time of the year to be visiting both I know – but…

Actually Tom is planning on doing some photo workshops in both places next year – so we’re in Maine and Massachutes to lay out the route of photo sites and choose lodging. Actually the weather has been very welcoming so far – mid50′s. We’ve been able to walk around during the day without coats and in the evening with a light jacket.

This afternoon I took a walk along the Shore Path. It actually begins at the town pier, runs in front of the Bar Harbor Inn, where we’re staying, and follows the harbor along the eastern shore of Mount Desert Island. People have walked the path along the ocean since 1888. Some very beautiful homes can be seen from the path and some of the homeowners have dedicated paths though their property That connect Main Street, Bar Harbor to the path.

What a relaxing way to spend an hour or so!

While on my annual quilting retreat this weekend,  I realized just how much I actually rely on my design wall. While putting together a quilt top  set on point,  I soon found  just how hard assembly is.   I normally place blocks on my design wall as they are completed.  But of course can’t when on a retreat .   And it goes without saying that it would be impossible to carry a large design wall when traveling anyway.

Lisa came up with the obvious solution in this case:

Lay the blocks out  on the floor     

Voila!  Perfect block placement.

When I got home however, I just couldn’t resist displaying it on the design wall to get a good look at it.

I also went online and found a few other suggestions for portable design walls at Quilters Diary.

“Portable Design Walls”

‘These design walls are great because you can lay out your blocks, then roll them up with the blocks in place and take everything with you.

• Flannel fabric. You can find these very cheaply at a thrift store, or buy some flannel yardage on sale at a fabric store.
• Vinyl tablecloth. Get one with soft white cottony backing that will cling to your fabric pieces.
• Quilt batting. Use a thin cotton or bamboo batting in a neutral color.
• Acrylic or wool felt fabric.
• Grid-quilted design wall. You make this just like a regular quilt, with a layer of flannel on top and a layer of batting behind. To create the gridlines for placing your blocks, mark the fabric every two inches vertically and horizontally, then stitch along the grid lines to make a square grid that covers the design wall surface.
• Large pull-down roller shade. Give the shade a clingy surface by covering it with flannel or batting. Unroll the shade when you want to lay out blocks, then roll it up with fabrics in place when you want to put the quilt away.’