Adirondack Vacation Day 1

We have limited internet access so I’ll be posting 2 or 3 days at one time on this trip.

We’re traveling again.

It seems like quite a long time since our last trip with the RV. We came back from a two-month stay in Florida at the end of February. In May and June we took two trips to Albany NY to participate in art fairs. (So I won’t count them because they were work related.)

We are now at Forked (pronounced fork ed’) Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. – One of our favorite places to camp in the Adirondacks. While this is actually a working vacation – Tom will be taking pictures at the Adirondack Museum on Saturday- we still have 5 days to relax and unwind. I plan to do a bit of quilting also – then some kayaking, quilting, hiking quilting, relaxing and quilting.

I’ve brought along a number of projects but will concentrate on three: my Celtic quilt (I have one side of the binding and the label to attach) , a wool appliqué project that I started last year at our quilters’ retreat at Watson Homestead. The project, Basket of Sunflowers was featured in the Fall/Winter 2007 edition of Quilt Sampler.

And the Third – my scrap stash. I have cut most of my blue stash into squares. It really is therapeutic to finally get some organization done

Right now Tom is down at the lake setting up for some sunset pictures. I’ll join him in a bit – Hope the sunset is good tonight.

Life sure is good!

There’s always time to quilt!

Day 2

Another Day in Paradise

What a way to spend a vacation! Tom decided to be chief and bottle washer today. A nice treat for me. When he prepared and did clean up for breakfast and lunch I was hoping that he would do the same for dinner. Now I’ll never know.

As we were preparing to have a glass of wine with a light snack before dinner, our neighbors in the next campsite invited us to share a drink with them. We ended up in our campsite however since we were all set up for “Happy Hour”. By the time we were finished visiting – it was nearly 7:30 so we decided on a quick dinner.   Tom wanted to go down to the lake again for some sunset pictures. The sunset has been really nice – not outstanding – but I don’t think you can get a bad sunset in the Adirondacks.

Today – the weather was perfect – in the 70′s. We spent most of the afternoon kayaking and exploring one of the streams that feeds Forked Lake.

And yes, I did get some quilting in – I’m still working on the binding for my Celtic quilt. I have about half of the final side to sew – and then the label.

There’s always time to quilt!

Day 3

Applique bedspread made as a retirement gift in 1894

We’re at the Adirondack Museum and I am enjoying the new quilt display, Common Threads Quilt Trail.  The collection consists of quilts from the 1800′s to present.  There are also quilts on display at various exhibits throughout the Museum grounds.

Touring the display is really worth the stop.

There’s always time to quilt!

We’ve all heard of it, but it wasn’t until I took the Scrap Therapy class from Joan Ford that I realized just how easy organizing a scrap stash could be. We all collect fabric scraps of various colors and patterns, fully intending to use the pieces when just a small amount of fabric is needed for an applique flower or leaf.  Maybe we will only need a few pieces to complete a piecing project.  But as Joan said, “We normally go to our favorite fabric shop and pick up a fat quarter”, rather than ‘wade’ through the pile of scraps we’ve collected.

I’ve always sorted scraps by color. But my zip lock bags are just becoming a mess of wrinkled fabric.

My scrap stash

Whenever I pull out a bag and dump out the contents, I have to stuff the pieces I won’t be using back into the bag – and it’s just a tangled mess.

To remedy this Joan has developed Scrap Therapy. Any piece of fabric that is a 1/4 yard or larger goes back into her stash.  The rest of the scraps are cut into three square sizes that make sense.  She also gave us tips on rulers, cutting, and storing our cut squares.

Scraps arranged by value and size

We’ve all seen the beautiful quilts that Joan creates with these size combinations.  I’m looking forward to taking one of her classes later this year so I can put all this organization to good use.

I think however, that I’ll still continue to sort my leftover fabric by color, but also intend to cut the leftover fabric into squares which can be so easily stored in plastic shoe boxes. It’ll be so easy to see what I have on hand with this method.

Storing cut squares

We’ll be taking our camper up to the Adirondacks this week.  This is one of the projects I’ll take along – I really am looking forward to getting started.

Thanks Joan – this certainly is therapy.  I not only came away with some very useful and much needed information  but I had fun too.  Joan is not only a great instructor – she has some funny stories to share – and makes you feel at ease as soon as you meet her.

There’s always time to quilt.

Every year we (the members of the Thumbstall Quilt Guild) are challenged to make a mini quilt.  We are given a theme and specific instructions on such things as size, technique and/or colors.  “Do Not Touch the Quilts” is the theme for this year’s challenge and it must be 11″ x 11″ or smaller.  We are able to use the technique or fabric of our choice.

These small quilts will be used at our biennial quilt show as a reminder  not to handle the quilts. It’s such a temptation to pick up the corner of the quilt in order to see the quilting detail.  I’ve found myself putting my hands in my pockets, or walking with my hands behind my back while at a quilt show so not to take a quick peek.

My quilt, Please Keep Your ‘Paws’ off the Quilts, is just about finished.

Do not touch the quilts

I only have to attach the binding.  I am definitely going use the Binding Thingy to make those ‘perfect’ mitered corners.  What a great tool.

At our annual picnic  this month the membership will vote on their favorite quilts.  First, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons  will be awarded.

There’s always time to quilt!

Now that it’s officially summer, Tom and I enjoy spending as much time as possible on our deck.  Since I retired and he has moved his business to our home we are normally able to have lunch and dinner on the deck as well as spend time in the evening reading until darkness drives us indoors.

This week has been a bit of a challenge however with thunderstorms every afternoon.  Luckily,  for most of the week it  only rained in the middle of the afternoon.  We were still able to enjoy lunch and dinner  and spend some time after dinner on the deck.  However yesterday it rained pretty much all day.  But today the weather alternated between partly cloudy to partly sunny. All in all – not a bad deck day.

I couldn’t resist spending some time in my gardens also and even took a few pictures.

Of course , I also found  some time to work on the binding for my Celtic quilt.  It’s all most finished.  I just have to add the label and finish hand sewing the last section of the binding to the back of the quilt.

There’s always time to quilt!