WIP.

Here is my work-in-progress from my weekend workshop with Gwen Marston.

It was a "liberated quilting with solids" class and I learned a ton. Not just from her, but from my classmates too...such creativity and inspiration all around the room! 

The liberated part was so freeing. I got my idea of the red squares throughout the quilt from one of Gwen's books. Started with one square and just kept adding on without a pattern, no measuring or pinning.

My quilt is made from recycled men's shirts that I picked up at our annual Rotary Auction. I was originally collecting them for the patterns, but this year I'll definitely be looking for great solid colors.  I'm incorporating a couple of the shirt plackets with buttons and one shirt tag, just for fun. I'm not sure what I'm doing for a border yet, but I like the way it looks on the batting, maybe I'll use a cream color. 

Happy Monday! 

Quilting retreat.

Today is Day 2 of a three-day "Quilting with Solids" workshop with Gwen Marston.

I signed up for it over a year ago. Of course, if I'd known how busy I'd be right now, I never would have, but it's turning out to be the best escape. These are all Gwen's quilts she brought to show us. I'll post some more photos as I get further along on my own project. The retreat is in a beautiful, light-flooded room right on the water up in Port Gamble. It doesn't get much better than this!

Throwback Thursday.

Found these while cleaning out my dad's house, his old business card below and my grandfather's card from B. F. Goodrich, where he worked his entire career.

Spring?

Trees covered in blossoms under the dusk sky last night in Seattle.

March 5th...seems early, but is it???

This last one is out of focus, but I still liked it for the contrast against the sky. 

Happy Friday!

Cheryl Strayed.

I'm going to hear this woman speak tonight at Benaroya Hall. I loved "Wild" (just the book, haven't seen the movie yet), but I really loved "Tiny Beautiful Things." I hope she is as brutally honest in person as when she writes. 

A weird coincidence between her and I...we have the same birthday (she's eight years younger then me) and just now as I Googled for a photo, I saw on Wikipedia that her mother and my grandmother have the same maiden name, Lambrecht. 

Wednesday wishing.

Wishing I was staying home today. Instead I'm in the middle of a crazy work week.

I'm paying the price for having ten days off for my father's services and taking care of his house. At work we're in the middle of a membership drive and putting together our once-a-year publication. I'm working a lot more than my usual part-time 30 hrs/week. Personally, my calendar is full with lots of good stuff...concerts, book readings, a three-day quilt workshop...all on top of getting my garden going and all the usual stuff.
Savoring my cup of tea this morning. Happy hump day!

Trace Bundy.

Off to see this guy tonight at The Triple Door. Always a good show!

And just realized (for you number geeks like me) that it's my third time to see him in concert, on the third day of the third month...at the Triple Door. ; )

Recycled wrapping.

My local office supply store was discarding a poster of paint colors and I grabbed it. 

Used it to wrap a birthday gift this weekend for an artist friend...

Blue sky.

Photo from my walk this morning. 

Another gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest.

Hello March!

The last couple of months have flown by for me so I'm in a bit of shock that it is the first of March today. I do dread the Pacific Northwest winters, mostly the dark, so to turn the calendar this morning to the month that spring arrives...I'm doing a happy dance!