Alaska, Day 1!

We arrived in Alaska Sunday night around 11:30pm local time….which to our tired body clocks was 3:30am Monday morning! Luckily the hotel we were staying at had a 24/7 shuttle service, and didn’t even bat an eye at our 2 big duffels full of quilts, one small suitcase full of books, my suitcase, my laptop bag, and DH’s suitcase, and HIS laptop bag.

Tired doesn’t BEGIN to describe how we felt. It’s just not easy to get to Anchorage from Greensboro NC! Continental airlines took us from Greensboro to HOUSTON to Seattle to Anchorage. But we caught all connections, and had a fun time.

So what did we do in Anchorage? WE SLEPT! And we didn’t sleep too late, there were things to attend to! First off ---BREAKFAST. We were starving. And we had to pick up a rental car…so that came first.

Get the car, find the food! So far, so good!

If you ever make it to Anchorage, GO HERE! It was fabulous! Eggs, bacon, and sourdough pancakes gave us the energy to start the morning! And I was wondering just WHAT else they put in DH’s french toast because he said “Do you want to hit some quilt shops?!?”

I quickly said yes, and put a message out to facebook for recommendations on where to go. He cracked up over the fact that within 8 minutes, there were something like 30 responses..LOL! He just does NOT understand quilters!

We picked two shops…((I’m not pushing this gift horse farther than he is willing to go!)) and started off here:

I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, but they had some really neat batiks with Alaskan motifs on it….and they found their way into my suitcase! I’m not sure what I’ll do with them yet, but I can’t come here and NOT get something commemorative! I also found some fun black on white prints for my “collection” ---

There was another shop we hit…oh, I’m drawing a blank! It was inside a shopping mall and was the local bernina dealership. Some fun fabrics were found there also…they had SCRAP BAGS! Why did I need scrap bags when I had so much at home? Well, I didn’t have THESE scrap bags. Easy answer, right?

From here we headed south toward Seward and Moose Pass! DH’s cousin NIkki and her family have been residents outside of Moose Pass for a long time, and we hadn’t seen them in over 25 years!

Along the way….we stopped at every turn out and scenic viewing place that we could find. The weather has not been very cooperative, but you know what? Even rainy raw weather presents such a beauty to the nature here, that I don’t mind!

We stopped here along the road at a view point….DH saw some “Other guys” with binoculars looking up the mountain side, and he wanted to see what that was all about so he got out his binoculars and we spotted goats wandering way up the side of this mountain! Further down the road, we did see a mama moose and her baby calf grazing in a marshy area, but we were driving too fast and there was no where to pull over and get pictures….

And the scenery continued!

This is the view from the car window on the way to Moose Pass!

I loved this sign! And we didn’t see any moose here, but it was a good place to stop for a break! We watched some float planes take off and land on the water..that was fun! And being the adventurous sort that I am, I had to give THIS a try:

I was wondering if it was Donner or Blitzen that I had on my bun, but it was VERY good! LOL!

I asked why the water is a funny milky silver color…and was told that it is from the glacier run off. It makes the reflections of the mountains in the water look so neat, because the water is opaque!

We wound our way back to where the turn off for NIkki & Curtis’s house is --- we had to wait until Nikki was off work to pop in on them, and the reunion was sweet! I can’t believe the view from their house! Can you imagine waking up to this out of your front door every morning?

This is the view from the side of the house across the front yard! GORGEOUS!!

And if that isn’t enough for you, this is the view of the FRONT of the house looking at the BACK YARD! WOW!!!

We really enjoyed our visit with Dave’s cousin and her family. Next post I’ll include more pictures of the hike we took--- where I’m staying now in Delta Junction doesn’t have the fastest internet and I don’t want to overload this post picture wise!

We are loving our Alaskan Adventure!

Looking for “Addicted to Scraps” Quilts!

Hey everyone!

I’ve got a huge opportunity for you!

If you’ve ever visited the offices of Quiltmaker Magazine and Quilters Newsletter Magazine in Golden, Colorado, you’ll know that they have a GREAT gallery display of quilts from various designers. It rotates and changes and there is always a beautiful quilt show going on in the offices. You can stop in and take a look!

Would you like to have YOUR QUILT on display at the Quiltmaker offices?

I got an email from my editors looking for quilts made with the patterns from my “Addicted to Scraps” column, and I KNOW there are some out there!

If you would like the opportunity to have your quilt on display, I am asking that you mail a picture of your quilt, and a description to Carolyn Beam so she can see how busy you’ve been! From there, they will choose which quilts best suit the space they have and choose the variety they need for a good display.

I’m also asking you to repost this post to your email lists and newsgroups and message boards, even your facebook pages so that we can get the word out to quilters wherever they may be.

I’m hoping we can fill the gallery section of the Quiltmaker office with your wonderful scrap quilts!

And just in time for this post --- There is a NEW block in the latest issue, called Antique tile!

You won’t want to miss this issue! There are lots of wonderful projects in here!

Quiltmaker has also provided an inspirational lay-out for my antique tile blocks…I just HAVE to make this myself!

Look at those lovely pale ohio star blocks with just a hint of yellow! Isn’t this a great lay-out? You can find the instructions for Antique Tile in the Sept/Oct issue, available on newstands this week!

Please send in your pictures to Carolyn! Let’s keep the scraps a rollin’!

Evening at Uncle Steve’s!

Uncle Steve is the 3rd child in a family of 4 kids. As the only boy in a family with 3 girls…he learned to be the TOUGH one! My mom is the eldest, then Auntie Gail, Then Uncle Steve, and then came Auntie Joy.

My earliest memories of Uncle Steve where of him pinning down my Auntie Joy and just pounding her. You know how big brothers can be? He would pin her down and terrorize her. Not hurt her really, but…big brothers can be SUCH a pain!

Well, he’s turned out to be quite the guy and he and his lovely wife Kathryn both work in the nursing field.

They have a lovely home, and just like my mom and Auntie Joy, have a yard and garden to die for!

We enjoyed a lovely dinner on the deck outdoors, and because Uncle Steve’s birthday is in August…he got a bit of a surprise when we all sang! It’s not until later in the month, but hey, we were all together so why not?

Of course there is lots of fencing to keep the wild rabbits and the deer out of the veggies! That night a lot of our dinner was garden raised! Tomatoes, cucumbers, a few different kinds of squash, beans, pea pods…YUMMY! There are also fruit trees that look like they are going to bear a good harvest this year. I t was a wonderful evening for wanding through the garden.

This is the view from farther away, up by the house.

Uncle Steve, Aunt Joy, and behind Joy is a friend named Mark. Uncle Steve loves showing everyone how things are coming along!

He also has a “new” hobby ---raising rabbits! This is a new addition from when I was there last year for Grandpa’s funeral. It was just in the talking stages then, but as of now…things are multiplying ---- just like…well….RABBITS!

There is a brand new litter of babies, only 2 weeks old. And we all wanted to see them of course..and Steve gives us a lecture on being quiet, not scaring the rabbits, we don’t want the mama to go berserk and kill her babies, as has happened in the past.

See that radio hanging from the ceiling a bit to the left of Steve’s head? It’s playing CLASSICAL! :cD It was very soothing in there.

The Mama Doe wasn’t quite sure what we were doing, but we talked in whispers and mostly listened to what Steve was telling us. After all, he is the expert, don’tcha know!

Little baby bunny nose! 2 weeks old! Just look at that cute pinkness! :cD

It’s little sibling had to peep on over to see what all the fuss was about, and who were these strangers occupying the space beyond the cage wall! Aren’t they cute?

Other colors around the yard: Aren’t these vibrant?! WOW…electric almost!

This bird bath by the front walk way was so pretty too…just look at those happy flowers!

The yard is one giant bouquet of color! Can you imagine these colors together in a quilt? I can!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Steve! Thanks so much for the warm welcome, the terrific hospitality, the yummy meal --- There is nothing more precious than family!

More from Auntie Irene!

There was MORE to be dug out of the boxes that were hiding under the bed in Auntie Joy’s guestroom!

Some of the items were simply tied flannel baby quilts that were not finished, a few bits and pieces of this and that. Mom took home one really fun dresden plate wall hanging piece, and Joy kept a couple of quilts that could be washed and washed until they didn’t smell anymore, and they were machine quilted so they cold be USED.

The baby quilts and other things that we just simply did not need will find their way to organizations who CAN put them to good use and finish and donate them. ((But off the top of my head I’m thinking of how much they need to be washed to get the smell out before they can be donated to anyone….give a smoky quilt to a baby? Uuhhhh…no.))

But THIS ONE…LOOK!

It’s a wooly dresden made out of old suits, skirts, pants and jackets! There is even some cordoroy in here, and something that feels like gabardine---but it could be wool gabardine at that, couldn't it?

This is one I’d love to finish and I love how folksy it looks! She used yarn to do the buttonhole stitch around all the seams.

I love how Auntie Irene’s mind worked! See that pin? the paper says ROW 3!! In Auntie Irene’s own handwriting. THIS is special to me!

I also love how she plopped the plates down on the background, but didn’t pay attention to how the center circle was tilted. TOO FUN!! Look at the pic of the full quilt above and you will see what I mean. Several of them are straight, and some, like this one..tilt with a mind all it’s own! Weeeeeeee! This one also has a piece pinned to it stating which row it is. There was some forethought that went into the placement of these blocks. :cD

So what am I thinking of for this one? Ummmm…big fans in big stitch quilting with black pearl cotton? What do you think? Wool batting?

For now, it will stay as is. It is also being aired out, and when I can’t smell it anymore, I’ll probably fold it and display it where I can enjoy its quirkiness every day!

I am also the lucky recipient of some of Auntie Irene’s crochet and embroidery. These pieces are fairly yellowed with age. Isn’t there a linen or vintage textile soak/cleaner that can help me with these? Something to soak them in? I’d sure like to know what it is and where I can get some, so leave a comment to let me know!

I’m just loving this woolie quilt top!! OH dear, do I feel a trip to the goodwill clearance center coming on, simply to find more sources of WOOL!? As if I don’t have enough cotton stash, now I have to add something else to my addiction hobby?! :cD

Auntie Irene’s Legacy ---

My mom’s mom, my grandmother, was named Verna, and her sister was Irene. Verna and Irene were the daughters of Great Grandma Manuel, and growing up her picture had a prominent place in our home. We simply knew mom's grandma, my great-grandma Manuel as the “White haired lady”. I vaguely remember her from when I was VERY little…..

I only remember meeting Auntie Irene a few times growing up, but once, when my boys were small, She and her daughter Carol ((Mom’s other cousin)) made a visit out to Idaho and I got to know her a lot better then. As Grandma's sister, she was so much like my Grandmother in so many ways, and Grandma had passed away years before.

Auntie Irene was always busy with needlework of some kind. She quilted, she crocheted, she embroidered, she sewed. It’s the way things were always done. Never an idle hand to be seen.

Auntie Irene was married in 1938, and her sewing and handcrafting continued through her life! After her passing, her handworks were distributed amongst family members. Finally, what was “unclaimed” came to reside at Auntie Joy’s house, and I was told that I could “have my pick” of what was left. What treasures were to be found?!

1930’s butterflies on muslin feedsacks! We believe that the butterflies were embroidered early on in Auntie Irene’s married life, and then set aside until later in her life when she decided to put them together with 1970s calico. The calico is a poly blend, as getting 100% cotton in the 70s was pretty much limited. I’d like to take these apart and re-set them, but at the same time, I know that Auntie Irene did these….so I’m hemming and hawwing on whether to take them apart, or leave them as is as quilt it.

It really REALLY needs washing. It is so smoky from years of living in a smokers home that I can hardly stand to have it in the same room right now. It’s airing out in the garage. And that adds to the dilemma. I don’t want to wash it and have the seams shred. It may be airing out for a LONG TIME! But I just love to see her hand stitches on these cute butterflies!

I love this orange one! Can you see the cute french knot eyes? There is some yellow staining on the muslin, but that doesn’t bother me as much as the smell.

I love this purple print too! Several of the prints are ones that I recognize as being “reproductions” more recently, but these are definitely the real deal!

I love this sweet print too! I can’t believe that no one wanted this top --- but then --- how many would have known how to finish it?

So what do you think I should do? Wash it or not? Quilt it as is? Take it apart, re-set it, quilt it, THEN wash it? Give me your thoughts!

Dear Auntie Irene ---

I am so HAPPY to have part of your quilting legacy live on to brighten my home! I cherish the memories we’ve made over the years, I’ll forever remember you smiling and laughing and think of how you were always so cheerful to be around!

I’ll remember how even at 90 you were often found dancing alone in your living room or kitchen just because your feet couldn’t stand still with that kind of music playing! ((There is a life lesson in that! NEVER STOP DANCING!))

I’ll always remember the time I brought my boys out to meet you at the orchard in Eagle, Idaho --- when we were there to pick peaches and apricots and have a picnic! There were no forks for the potato salad, and you said, never fear! And we all found forked twigs to eat our lunch with. These memories are so special to me!

I love holding the work of your hands in my own hands…and forever in my heart!

Love,

Minnesota Early Mornings

Yes I know, It’s Sunday, and we are on our way to Alaska today! But I need to distribute some posts, just in case we can’t find wifi while out in the AK Wilds! I don’t want to leave you too long without any postings of any kind..when that happens, my inbox fills up with all kinds of “Where are you!?”emails!

Our flight gets into Anchorage about midnight Anchorage time…which is 5am North Carolina Time! It’s going to be a long long travel day….and we’ll sleep until we wake up because we have ZERO places to be or plans on Monday other than to get caught up on sleep and do some exploring.

Then we are heading down toward Seward where DH’s cousin lives and spending a day there. We plan to work our way through scenic areas and fabulous places and wind up near Delta Junction sometime on Wednesday evening. And that’s as far as we’ve planned! We figure the locals will have some ideas for us on things we should see and do.

DH already has plans to GOLF while I am teaching on Friday and Saturday. Knock your socks off, honey, I want you to be happy…..I know we will be! We’ll be up to our ears in a Bricks in the Barnyard workshop and a Love Shack workshop! And there is a lecture on Friday night. I understand a whole group of ladies are coming all the way from Anchorage for the workshop…that’s a 5.5 hour drive ONE WAY! I’m tickled that they want to come.

And here is where the rest of my Minnesota post comes in, just to give you a glimpse of where I’ve been!

I’ve always been an early morning girl. I love that time of the day, and I will even set my alarm while on vacation just to force encourage myself to get up and make the most of it.

There is a wonderful greenbelt area near where my Aunt and Uncle live --- Three rivers trail. And it is just BEAUTIFUL in the summer! This was my early morning Wednesday Walk/Jog:

This sign cracks me up! Do you see that last line, DH!?? NO GOLFING!! But even funnier is the picture in the center….I understand about cleaning up after a dog, but who scoots along behind the dog trying to catch it on the fly in a plastic bag?! It’s not like the dog is a nerf gun or something! LOL! Maybe poop-catching is a new sport? If you catch it before it hits the ground, do you get extra points? :cD

The morning light coming through the trees was just iridescent! I don’t suppose you can smell it from the picture, but I bet you can imagine how fresh and clean and beautiful it was to the senses. I had my ipod on shuffle, and my gps running…..I went out 3 miles, and turned around and came back 3 miles.

One part of the trail revealed a small waterfall at the end of part of the creek. Beautiful!

There are great maps to show you where you are, and these trails go for miles and miles. One thing I saw a lot of that I don’t near home are people in LONG LONG ski-type roller blades…doing an inline cross country skiing type sport.

I was passed by many people of all ages going like crazy on these long nordic inline skates, using their poles as if they were cross country skiing. It looked like fun!

I love the wild flowers. I can’t stop taking pictures of them! These little daisy things with the curly petals were so pretty…

And the yellow daisies with brown centerse….LOVE those. Summer is so beautiful in Minnesota!

There are sweet little curved bridges that cross the streams and creeks….I saw lots of bunnies hopping around in the early morning light too.

Upon recommendation from my cousins, Andrew and Bethany, I hit the trail on Friday morning early, and went LEFT instead of RIGHT and discovered new-to-me trails! There are paved trails that go all the way around Rice Lake and Fish Lake. Just take it from me, if you go…do NOT forget the bug spray! I was eaten alive by the time I got back!

THIS picture is my favorite of all! Doesn’t it look like the clouds are ON the water?? The water was so still that it perfectly mirrored the sky above. Time of the morning? About 6:30am.

I loved the way the sunlight filtered through the trees and the water sparkled just beyond. Friday was only a 5 mile morning, but we had packing to do and get to the airport to catch our flights! There is something so special in communicating with nature so early in the morning. I can hardly wait to experience the same feeling in Alaska….